


Poison Arrow

by curiobi



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Barry Allen - Fandom, Oliver Queen - Fandom, The Flash (TV 2014), flarrow - Fandom, olivarry - Fandom
Genre: Barry is adorbs -and totally clueless, Caitlin possibly thinks Oliver is the Billionaire version of the office bike, Cisco is all like ... dude just No!, Dominate sex, Felicity is like you must to have him Oliver Denial is bad -, First Time, Getting it good is good for what you ails you, Harrison is a bit of a git about it tbh, Harrison possibly thinks Oliver has less of a dick and more of a pogo stick -and might not approve, In Oliver's defence he does try to talk sense into him. Then he reverts to what he is good at, In Short Barry goes to Oliver panicking about possibly going evil in the future, Joe has a gun and he will Chuffing use it -No he does not approve, M/M, Meaning everyone has a ride - No Caitlin does not approve, No -Seriously Oliver is all about the Oral Sex... may also possibly be a fetish, Oliver is pretty Damn hot and Bossy in a suit... Just Saying, Oliver may have a fetish for the Flash suit... Just Saying, Oliver possibly gives it to Barry good -which is as well as should be, Oliver sees his panick and raises him a good seeing to, Oral Sex, Passionate Sex, Pounding sense into people, also ...can you make me pancakes? I'm freekin starving over here!, lusting from afar, possibly being an idiot, possibly both being idiots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2018-12-30 08:01:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 63,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12104274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiobi/pseuds/curiobi
Summary: Barry has convinced himself that he is destined to go bad, like The Reverse Flash and Zoom. He asks Oliver to put a stop to him if that ever happens.Oliver Queen is having precisely none of that noise.However, Oliver's idea of how to deal with someone panicking about becoming evil may well differ greatly from someone less sexed up and aggressive...





	1. Preface:

I usually have this long story about the “What If ”🤔😋 moment that made me write a fic, and it is usually funny (I think); however, in this case, I have no such tale, I literally saw these two together on a crossover episode.

And I was all like...

I didn't really know anything about who they were or their shows, it was just something I stumbled on through Netflix (you know back when Netflix was cool without all the excessive region locking BS).

I started watching the Flash and I loved the show from season 1 episode 1.

I didn't really understand Arrow at first because it felt like the show wasn't sure what it wanted to be, it was defiantly Arrow/Oliver's interactions with Flash/Barry that made me decide to take a second look at the show Arrow and its characters.

So I tried watching Arrow again and I was like 🤔???

It was then that I realised Barry sees Oliver in a way others don't, he sees him as a hero, where others are like ' _I'm pretty sure you're misspelling **killer vigilante** there Barry!'_

I was like oh, so the hotness of Oliver getting all up in cute adorbs Barry's grill is not indicative of the show Arrow

-they don't do cute, okay message received, let's try again:

> His name be Oliver Queen, he doth wear the mantle of Robin of Loxley. Bravely doth he venture into the night... _to straight up execute fools!_

I'm not opposed to that per se, some bad guys need shanking, rather than letting them run around killing innocent people just trying to mind their own business. So I'm not judging, I just didn't get the darker nature of the show at first because I thought isn't he supposed to be a classic square-jawed clean-cut superhero, _-then why the hell is always killing people_ O-o?

I was interested on the basis of that question and intended to ignore all the flashback scenes. A mistake I realised, because the show has been trying to let you know through them that what, -SPOILER ALERT!- Prometheus was trying to make Oliver see about himself was true. I mean Prometheus was nuts and his evil was pretty damn strong, but he was right on the money about Mr Queen.

He kills people and he likes it.

_**Truth bombs.** _

Lucky for him there are literally legions of bad guys who need and quite frankly deserve an arrow to the knee, chest, back and wherever else, so there is a use for him. He just can't pretend it hurts him and chips away at his soul to do it like he has been- because that chat is some grade A bull pants!

They added Legends and Supergirl to the itinerary of super entertaining shows and I started watching those as well, so, yes, thank you DC, you have successfully made me cheat on Marvel - I hope you're happy with yourselves you gods-damned homewreckers!

So what new Ships did I add to My Armada? Glad you asked! 😁😄😄

  * **_Winn and Jimmy Olson from Supergirl:_**

I am on it, believe me! I think Winn would be a little tipsy one night, kinda slutty-cute and kiss Jimmy, _who would totally do something about it... I'm just saying_

Or maybe the adrenaline after a close call spills over to some 'my man in the van' type action... yup, that's some good head cannon right there!



  * **_Ray Palmer and Cisco:_**

I can't seem to think of more than a few chaste kisses because they are just too cute, and I have never posted a damn thing that didn't deserve every shade of red in the Explicit tag!



  * _**Ray Palmer and Mick Rory:**_

Yassss! I think Ray would be moping around some day in some kind of typical Ray tizwaz about something and Rory would hammer him straight, literally, just you know, with his own personal god given hammer... I'm just saying...

-Also, _I wish I was on it,_ -but sadly I find Ray Palmer to be as cute and adorbs as a six-foot former superman can be... and apparently that's a lot. I can't just let Mick Rory do unspeakable things to him in my mind palace -I mean headcanon... No, I can't possibly, I won't, I just won't! 😯🤔... 😏🙄😉😂



  * _**Captain Cold/Flash:**_

He literally could not have taken him less seriously at first!

-And yes, double standard, because I wrote Barry/Oliver and the first time they met Oliver said to Barry:

_“Do your parents know that you are here?”_

And to Felicity: _“FYI, they will card him at the Bar”._

The real problem is Cold is so, well _Cold,_ I worry if an all-out smut-fest between him and sweet innocent adorable Barry might be soooooo bad it actually _doesn't_ feel so bad it's good! It just might be bad...

_I'm still thinking about it!_



  * _**Barry/Cisco**_ **:**

I ship the heck out of it to be honest, but I can't write it so far because of the aforementioned uber cuteness and chaste kisses situation, I mean _would you look at those punims!_

I just can't do it!

I just don't see either one of them Boss topping the ever-loving hell out of the other, and that's kinda cutting me off at the knees people, I mean give me something to work with here!!!



  * _**Thawne-Wells/Barry:**_ ** ******

I'm pretty sure Thawne/Wells molested Barry on more than one occasion when he was helpless... They made that pretty clear with him circling Barry's bed when Barry was all passed out and topless, -He was giving some disturbing speech about having him helpless and what he could do to him, - he was being predatory and creepy as heck, to be honest, enough to make you want to yell - _'Hey! Rapey! What you're doing right there, **that's a no!** Maintain your distance, 10 feet away all times, you creepy weirdo!' _

I'm also pretty sure I shouldn't write about or encourage any of that! I'm in enough trouble with the self-appointed dubcon police for my Sam/Dean Smith and Wesson stuff as it is thank you!

...There is, of course, the little matter of Thawne-Wells having Barry handcuffed in the time room and the resultant dirty head-cannon this inspires!

-You see, Thawne-Wells couldn't risk killing Barry in case Barry wasn't bluffing when he said there was a secret letter that would be delivered outing Thawne-Wells as evil if he didn't return. So, yeah he couldn't kill him _but he could pretty much do anything else he wanted to him_ , which the scene made glaringly obvious!

Thawne-Wells had all the power because choosing not to kill him, didn't mean choosing to help him. He could have just ignored him until he went back to his own time and it wouldn't have affected him or his plans. Meaning to get the information he so desperately needed Barry would have to make a deal with Thawne-Wells ....

-And did I mention the thing where Barry was totally at Thawne-Well's mercy! -Come on he was speedster-restraint handcuffed, in a secret room, where no one could hear him or even knew he was there!

_-I'm pretty sure dubcon ensued, _as in the very definition of the most dubious of consent.__

Then there was Barry's reaction when he went back to his future time, and put the light up USB looking thing Thawne-Wells gave him into the future hologram thing in the time room. He thought it didn't work at first and slammed his fist down in a display of slightly uncharacteristic hot _** rage **_yelling about it not working _after everything he just went through_ -and I was like o-O? a hoy-hoy, _and what might that mean?_ Could he, per chance, be referring to being throughly molested by Thawne-Wells as part of a reluctant dubiest-of-con type deal to get the speed force equation he needed to stop Zoom? -Because (as Archer says) - _“I have something for this!”_

And the thing I had was some _seriously_ “inaprops” (as Pam from Archer says) filthy, dirty, headcanon

-And lo though full of shame I may be and sure that I should not, mayhap, still, I hath little choice but to pen such a grievous tale as a warning to others like:

> _Yo, idiot, don't go frickin messing with time on purpose, get chased by a time wraith, and then suck so hard at impersonating your own damn self you get knocked out by, then locked in a soundproof future cupboard with, your evil rapey former mentor!!!_




I'm just glad that for once I've discovered something more than one other person on the planet likes! -Whoo-hoo Oliver/Barry is actually a main ship! So not how it usually goes for me!

I mean **Shadowhunters** : Everyone loves Malec, including me, _but my brain only wants to write Jalec and Jimon._

 **Jane ~~the damn~~ Virgin:** Everyone wants Jane/Micheal or Jane/Raphel, while I am completely partial to Raphael/Micheal. _-And excuse me but obviously the show shipped the hell out of them as well given the talk about their "date we weren't allowed to call a date" and all the lingering slow motion shirtless Raphael with Micheal on their not-date scenes!_

 

Oh, and by saying I'm partial to Raphael/Micheal I mean _I wanted Raphael to **have at**_ Micheal! I'm talking full on, corner Micheal in secret corner of the police station while he was god, yes, in uniform _**and have at him with full savagery!**... _ Obviously I am going to have to write this at some point!

Sigh... I will just have to resign myself to the fact I am going to write obscure pairings that are less ships and more sad little tugboats that hardly anybody wants to look at yet alone sail in ... but it is hot, so I do what I must! -Yes, that includes Damon/Marcel who I as far as I know never even met in Vampire Diaries or The Originals!

My point is I have more to post! A lot more, and issues with the size of my shipping Armada, obviously... Not that mad about it though ;D

Anyhoo, when it comes to Barry/Oliver and this story, the straight up truth is when you see a couple of beautiful-

 

-and cute human beings

 

-that photograph _this_ well together, I mean _**smouldering** _ off the lens well...

 

-Let's just say, my fangirl heart can't be tamed! It is wild and free! I would ship them even if the characters were mortal enemies!

  

As it is they have become very good friends and that is just gravy!

  

  

Then, of course, there's the thing where they're all...

  

  

-And, what, I ask you is a poor fangirl to do?

It's all...

 

-And I'm all...

 

However, after a while, I began to realise that there was actually some gasp, shock, _cannon_ substance to the depiction of Barry and Oliver's relationship, -especially in the crossover episodes where Team Arrow and Team Flash (aka Team Baby and Team Adults) fought Vandel -the boss man- Savage and again when they teamed up to fight those poorly animated Alien douche-bags who had the cool name 'dominators' but that was about it.

In the crossover episodes, Barry and Oliver were able to save their teams because when push came to shove Oliver trusted Barry more than anyone else, and Barry felt the same, telling Oliver that he travelled through time and Savage was going to kill them all to death and they needed a better plan.

In the Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, Legends crossover episodes, Arrow didn't give a damn who was upset with Barry for changing time and affecting their lives, he wanted him as the team leader, even though it was clear he was a better choice from a military standpoint and knew exactly what to do. Oliver even flat out said he wasn't going anywhere without him and he believed in him. **_Frankly, fangirls have swooned and expired over less!_**

I knew then that I had to write something that did justice to the major squee fest that was that scene and their relationship in general.

I hope I have succeeded and I hope you like it!

** curiobi  **

****@ ~.~@****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I would like to say: The following tags were deemed invalid, boo!_
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> For your delectation, and of course, my utter defiance I have placed them here: 
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> ** curiobi  **
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> ****@ ~.~@****
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> ###### 
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> *Flash is in what we Brits call a bit of a tizzy but fear not Arrow will set him straight... well not straight per say - but you get the idea,
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> *Felicity possibly ships this harder than you or I ever could and that dear friends is saying something, 
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> *Suit fetish... -possibly. It is hard to get Oliver to admit to any kinky bastard stuff even if he is guilty af tbh, 
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> *Caitlin possibly thinks Oliver Queen is the rich boy equivalent of the office bike meaning everybody has a ride and does not approve, 
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> *Personally I believe Barry is adorable - Oliver may possibly agree with this - he may also prefer to take an arrow to the knee than admit it,
> 
> __
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> *Attention those that know my other works may go into shock to know that my customary graphic words are not used -I wanted to know if I could actually do it - No I will not make it a habit - It damn near killed me and chapters took 100 years longer to write - It is still hot as urm... heck if I do say so myself - But I will never try this urm... heck again!, 
> 
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> *For hecks sake just read it... I nearly died writing it super hot with no real profanity -yes it actually hurt not to use the phrase hard c**k, especially when dealing with the likes of Oliver -hard body- Queen. 
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> __
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> *My doctor says I will recover in 2 to 3 short years with regular profane laden chapters posted ... Considering the rate at which I upload I may never recover.
> 
> __


	2. Magical Explosion

“I'm just so _tired_ Oliver. I mean I know I have to bounce back, land on my feet, because the alternative is to give up, leave the people I love unprotected, and I can't, _I won't_ do that, -but what if the people I love need protecting from _me?_ ”

“Just think about how many enemies have come from the future and from alternate worlds _hating me,_ I must have done _something_ to deserve it other than foiling their plans”.

“The Reverse Flash, Fake-Wells, Eobard Thawne, whatever you want to call him, -he hated me so much he tried to kill me when I was just a little kid, he killed my mom and left my dad alive so he would be blamed and left to rot in prison, then he pretended to be Wells to make sure I'd become the Flash, so he could engineer my fate, make me dance like a puppet”.

“When Thawne confessed to my mom's murder so my father would be released, I thought he'd finally let his hatred towards me for things I haven't even done yet go. I actually believed he was trying to make up for what he did, - _I was such a fool”_.

“Thawne _told_ me he killed my mom to make me suffer when he couldn't kill me, I should have known that he would do the same thing again. Thawne studied everything about me in the future, because he was obsessed with me, with being better than me. He must have known all along that Zoom killed my dad. _That_ was why he confessed, he wanted to make sure I'd be at my happiest because what I'd dreamed of for so long had finally happened, my dad was finally free, his name cleared, his reputation restored. I had so much hope that finally everything was going to be alright, _and Zoom crushed it all in an instant,_ just like Thawne knew he would.

 _What did I do in the future to make Thawne hate me **that** much?_ It had to have been something **_terrible_** , right? Something more than he's saying?”

“Barry, Thawne was caught up in hating the you from a timeline that probably doesn't even exist anymore, not in the exact same way he left it. And in the end, he got caught between hating the future you and caring about the present you, insisting that you and Cisco were like sons to him despite everything he did including almost killing you both. Look, Thawne might have been a genius but you can't convince me that man was sane. _-And do you really want to get started on Zoom?_ He was a _serial_ _killer_ Barry, A sociopath”.

“Yes but-

-“No _. Listen to me Barry._ The thing Reverse Flash and Zoom have in common isn't _you_ doing something to them, it's _them_ trying to use _your_ speed to cure problems they created for themselves! -You need to stop confusing intellect with common sense or even sanity. Thawne messed with time trying to kill the 11 year old you, stranding himself in this time in the process, -but instead of accepting that as a consequence of his actions, he killed the real Wells, stole his identity and literally tore this world apart selfishly trying to get back to his own time. -And zoom, he was a speed junkie who fatally poisoned himself using experimental drugs to get faster. _Stop giving them so much credit._ They were both parasites and murderers, nothing more”.

“Maybe, but it wasn't just me who was affected, Zoom kidnapped and abused Caitlin, and I couldn't save her. She suffered so much and it's all my fault, she never would have met him if it wasn't for me, -I should have protected her, after Wells, I should have known something was off with Jay Garrick. _I should have known he was hiding something._

“When I found out that Jay was really Zoom, I was _filled_ with hatred. I was _so_ angry, I _wanted_ to **_kill_** him, and if he'd been there at that moment that's what I would have done, - _I would have put my hand through his chest and crushed his heart._

-“Zoom and Thawne both manipulated me _so easily_... and lately I've been wondering what if I was so blind to them because I'm destined to become like them? You have to see it Oliver, the similarities, I've manipulated the speed force, _just like they did,_ created time remnants and aberrations, _just like they did_. Maybe this is how it starts, maybe it just gets worse…”.

“I'm not saying I'm planning to go dark or anything... I'm... I'm trying to say there _has_ to be a contingency, just in case something goes wrong”.

“You're one of the best military tacticians I know Oliver, and you've taken me down before. If it comes to it, you're the best person to take me out and that's what I'm asking you to do”.

“Let me get this straight, you ran all the way over here to ask me to _kill_ you?”

“I came to ask you to _stop_ me if it comes to it”.

“By _killing_ you?”

“If that's the only way, then yes. You're the only one I can ask to do this Oliver. My team are my family, they love me as much as I love them and they'll keep trying to save me if I go dark, but you're-

-“Just the stone-cold killer you need in a crisis, right?”

-“No! I don't see you that way Oliver, I just know you can see the bigger picture, you can do what needs to be done when others can't or won't”.

“So you ran all the way to Star City to make suicide plans? If that's what you want Barry Amanda Walla made a squad for that. I know Lila has them stashed away somewhere at ARGUS. if you ask her nicely I'm sure she'll be alright with putting a kill switch in the back of your head just in case you go rogue”.

“Of course, that probably means ARGUS will control you with whatever they put in your head and force you to do shady things for the US government rather than actually killing you, -but that's okay, so long as you don't have to fight for your humanity like the rest of us right? So long as you can just give up and let someone else make all the tough calls that chip away at the soul, _right_?”

-“But if you think for a _second_ that convincing me to kill you, or any other cop out plan you can come up with will help you escape your personal demons, _you're wrong._ Trust me Barry I have been there, you either fight the monster or the monster becomes you, and you do not want that believe me. -So _fight it_ Barry, whatever this is you're going through, fight it, never give up, never stop trying to do the right thing, _it is who you are, and you need to remember that”._

Barry ran his hands through his hair. “... Look, I'm sorry Oliver, I swear I wasn't planning on coming here to ask you this, I needed to get away so I _ran_ , and the next thing I knew I was in Star City _”._

“And what, just decided to set up a future suicide while you're here?”

“It's not _Suicide_ Oliver. I'm just... I'm trying to do the right thing, to make sure there's a plan in place. -that's why it _has_ to be you. You're the only one I've ever fought who's taken me down so many times despite not having any powers. I don't know if it's because I keep underestimating you or you're just that good, probably both. -I just know that if it came to it, you could find a way to stop me from hurting the people I love-

 _-“That's enough”_ he growled yanking Barry to his feet, “have you lost your mind? _Do you even understand what you're asking of me?”_

“I do, that's why-

“I SAID ENOUGH!” he barked. “I will _not_ do that to you, _not ever_ do you understand me? So if you want a sentry for your little Hara-kiri mission, _go find someone else”._

“Oliver _please,_ you have to help me, -look you know how to defeat me if I go bad, you've done it before”.

“Barry, you didn't just wake up that morning and _decide_ to ‘go bad’, _you were being controlled!”_

“And what if that happens again?!”

“Then we'll _stop_ you again, like we did before, all of us as a Team, but _not_ by killing you”.

“ _Oliver_ , you know about the message from the future, _I told you not to trust me!_ -That could be a different version of me, but what if all the messing with time and making time remnants and aberrations means it's _this_ version of me? What if _I'm_ the one that goes bad? _What if that future is already playing out?!_ You have to promise me you won't let me hurt the people I care about, you _have_ to stop me before that happens, **_please_** _”._

“I said no” he growled his expression darkening, _“Stop asking me that, **do you hear me?!** ”._

“Please, you have to, you're _the only one who can, **you have to** -_

-He slammed his lips against Barry's angrily, demanding total obedience _because he'd had all he could take._

He'd tried to reason with him, to make him see sense, but Barry kept bringing it back around to killing him.

_He didn't know, he didn't understand why he would never do that to him._

Barry's shocked mouth moved beneath his, full of objections and he deepened his domination of his mouth, tightening his hold on him uncaring of the fact Barry could use his speed to escape at any moment.

-He'd had good intentions, he'd meant to comfort him the right way, to help him to snap out of his despair by saying all the right things like he'd been trying to do, then maybe hug him, because Barry was so demonstrative that hugs never failed to cheer him up. -Unfortunately, the way Barry felt in his arms as he kissed him hard was _**destroying** _ his good intentions.

...But Barry was overwhelmed right now, stress was catching up with him, he was talking crazy, and even if he wasn't, Barry was inexperienced- _did he even really know what he'd be consenting to if this went any further?_

He didn't think Barry had even been taken by a man before, it was like he could _smell_ innocence on him _, and it made him want to take him, to mark him as his own, to **claim** him._

Maybe it was the Viking ancestry Felicity and Caitlin had discovered in his mitochondrial DNA and traced back to Scandinavia through his parent's genes.

Maybe that part of him, the pure-blooded conqueror, saw Barry as unconquered territory, _his to take, his to **pillage.**_

They came up for air panting hard as he stared down at Barry, their eyes locking as Barry looked up at him, his eyes and expression a riot of mixed emotions, and he pulled Barry harder against his body, his head lowering to dominate his mouth fiercely.

God, _he wanted to feast on him._

Barry made him feel like he was back on the island, subject only to the call of the wild, and Barry was _his prey_ , to hunt, capture, claim, and _devour_.

He fisted Barry's mop of messy dark hair, pulling his head back, hungrily biting his way down his long neck as Barry made sobbing sounds in the back of his throat.

If he was honest he'd known, it would end up this way between them from the start.

It didn't matter that Barry irritated the hell out of him at first.

_It was about instinct._ The warrior instinct in him that knew it would come down to combat to the death with Ra’s Al Ghul and Damien Darhk, -that no matter how many steps along the way or what happened in between it was only ever going to end that way.

His instincts to conquer, claim, and protect what was his were not only hard-wired, they were beaten, burned, and honed into his battle-scarred body, -and every time he looked at Barry those instincts told him he was looking at something that was _his,_ and sooner or later he would take what was his.

_It was why he'd avoided spending too much time around him._

He'd wanted to stave off what his instinct told him was inevitable. He'd wanted to protect Barry's innocent, hopelessly naive worldview. To keep the light sparkling in his eyes, to let him live a better life in Central City, where he could spend his days protecting his city as an inspiration, -a hero, who locked up the bad guys Barry and his friends gave ridiculous names rather than hunting them down and killing them.

They lived in completely different worlds, and he wanted Barry to have some semblance of a normal or at least happy life, so with the exception of absolute emergencies, he'd stayed away. - _But it had become increasingly difficult not to claim him._

To leave and stay away each time they teamed up, but he'd done it because it was the right thing to do.

He'd tried. _Didn't that count for anything?_ He had really tried to put Barry's needs first above his own despite his weakness now with giving into his desires and taking what he so badly wanted.

He took Barry's hand and put it on him, making him rub him through his suit pants, Barry's eyes widened as if the size surprised him, his long fingers stroking him in a way that was half measuring him half unintentionally teasing him to death.

He claimed Barry's mouth harder, his tongue demanding dominance his hands roaming his body, down his back, sliding under his rear, gripping him, as he picked him up laying him on the bed, stripping him and drinking in the site of his body, paler and slighter than his but packed with well defined lean muscle.

Barry could escape if he wanted to but he didn't try, _he **wanted** to be devoured,_ it was in his distraught shimmering eyes, in his total lack of resistance. He wanted to feel something other than despair _even if that feeling was pain._ He could relate, and he was going to give him what he needed as he bit into Barry's neck savagely hard revelling in his distressed cry.

Barry could heal, he didn't need gentle, he needed it like this, rough and hard. 

**_He was going to claim him in every way there was._ **

He took his mouth in a rough domineering kiss, taking off his own suit jacket and loosening his tie while hungrily kissing down Barry's throat, his chest, all the way down.

Barry went to pieces the moment he put his hungry demanding mouth on him, crying out as if he was shocked, his hands instantly on his head to push him away, he barely had time to growl low in his throat demanding his submission before Barry was coming, telling him that he had A: been trying to warn him he was about to come and B: had clearly never had this done to him before.

 _He was surprised._ Sighting another Alpha males challenge was instinctual, and given the intense way he'd often seen Thawne-Wells looking at Barry, he thought he'd at least taken this from him even if he'd restrained himself from taking his virginity, -but Barry's innocent overwhelmed reactions said this was the first time he'd been taken to the edge this way.

Barry was collapsed on the bed panting, his arms flung above his head and he gripped Barry's chin making him open his eyes and look at him, holding his gaze as he deliberately swallowed him down slowly, licking his lips, _a hunter enjoying the taste of his pray._

Barry's innocent eyes widened in shock even as he understood the message, -he didn't need or want to be spared, _he **enjoyed** the way he tasted._

He stripped off his tie and shirt, tossing them aside, unable to resist tilting up Barry's chin, running his thumb over his soft lips, -pushing the tip into his warm wet mouth and feeling himself get harder as Barry sucked without hesitation.

He pushed his thumb further into his mouth, running the pad against his soft tongue, kissing his jaw as his hands travelled down his body surprised and impressed to find he was already hard again. Barry bucked up against him as he gripped and stroked him and he pushed him back down flat on the bed, aggressively kissing and biting his way down his body, hungry for more of his sweet taste and loud abandoned cries.

_Hopefully he'd last longer this time._

He kept a tight fist around him, sucking him hard, while using his tongue to massage him in his mouth, -Barry yelled out loudly, his hands suddenly on his shoulders, his body twisting and jerking as he was crying out  _-“Oliver, I'm going to, oh god you're gonna make me come again!”_

He didn't last any longer but at least he wasn't trying to push him away and deny him a single drop of what was his to take this time, instead his hands were fisting in his hair so fiercely it hurt _and he liked it,_ liked Barry's loud cries filling the room as he was coming hard for him, liked the way he was crying out his name as he was voraciously sucking his climax out of him and swallowing down all he had to give.

He stripped himself completely as Barry stared up at him panting hard his face flushed, his eyes wide.

He straddled Barry's face, taking himself in hand and rubbing his tip over his soft lips, his own breathing quickening sharply as he slowly pushed his hard length into his warm mouth.

_God, that felt good._

Barry accepted his intrusion into his mouth, sucking on him gently, _too gently, -_ but this was clearly the first time he'd done this, so he reigned in his instinct to dominate and take his mouth hard and fast, instead moving slowly, letting him get used to the feel of him sliding in and out of his warm wet mouth as he grew heavier and harder, all the while trying not to push too deep and choke him, his own breathing growing harsh and laboured at the exquisite feeling of sliding against his sweet inexperienced tongue.

Barry's sounds of whimpering surrender, the way he was closing his mouth around him and sucking him harder, all of it _was driving him crazy,_ and suddenly he was vibrating his tongue as he thrust against it, learning quickly, despite his inexperience, and he couldn't stop himself from placing his hands either side of Barry's head and thrusting faster into his mouth, couldn't hold back his near animalistic growling as he watched himself dominating his mouth.

He couldn't take much more! -Barry was driving him close to the edge, but he probably wasn't ready to try swallowing, _so he had to stop._

He pulled out of Barry's mouth slowly watching himself sliding out of his wet mouth past his glistening swollen lips, tracing his fingers over them as he half lay over him, dipping his head, kissing him hard, tasting himself in his warm mouth while pushing Barry's legs apart and running his hand down his body, impressed and relieved to find him hard again despite coming twice already.  _Speedster downtime was impressive._ He stroked Barry roughly, tugging hard, lavishing his chest and nipples with attention, licking and biting his way down his body, making Barry cry out as he cupped him, squeezing hard enough to make him jolt, his testicles quickly drawing up again, tightening with seed.

He went down on him again, this time licking and sucking his testicles into his mouth as Barry yelled out at the sensation and he tightened his grip on Barry's hard length,  _he wasn't going to allow him to explode so soon this time._

Barry started crying out in that way he now recognised meant he was going to come any second and he stopped because he clearly wasn't going to last and he wanted to be inside him the next time he came. He reached over to his bedside drawer to get the lube and Barry suddenly pushed at his shoulders. He wondered if Barry wanted him to stop altogether when he literally vanished, but he reappeared almost as quickly, and he realised he'd probably just gone to clean himself up a bit.

Barry looked nervous, correction he looked _terrified_ , punctuated by the fact he was standing beside the bed covering himself with his hands rather than lying on it flushed and hard and panting the way he had been moments before.

He took Barry's hand, surprised to find he was shaking, -no, _vibrating_ he realised on closer inspection, -in anticipation or terror he couldn't tell but judging by how scared he looked he'd say the latter.

He gave him one last chance to back out, when he didn't he yanked him forward rolling him underneath him kissing him hard and intense. He pulled back and held Barry's gaze because he wanted Barry to look at him as he worked him open.

He grabbed the lube, warming it in his palms before stroking his finger over the tight ring of muscle. Barry flinched and cried out as he worked a finger into him, quickly finding the right spot inside him as Barry jolted, crying out in a different way and writhing as he worked him up to two fingers, skillfully twisting them inside him until he'd opened him up as much as his inexperienced body would allow.

He slicked them both, lining himself up, their eyes locked as he slowly pushed forward, breaching him as Barry sobbed “Oh god Oliver, it hurts, ah, _you're too big,_ it won't fit!”

Barry's hand shot out to his chest to stop him and he paused.  _God he was tight._  He spread him open as wide as he could without hurting him, pressing forward in one long hard thrust.

Barry wanted him to stop, but he  _needed_ him to go on, it was all in his gasping and sobbing and the way he was clinging to him wrapping his arms and legs around him, holding him close, urging him on. It hurt, _but he **needed** it_ as finally slid all the way inside him as deep as he could get.

He stilled, waiting for Barry to get used to the way he felt inside him, stretching him, filling him.

Barry's whimpering sobbing sounds grew louder as he moved slowly, staying deep inside him, finding the right spot and thrusting up against it.

 _Being inside him felt incredible._ He was no stranger to sex. He'd taken many lovers, some he cared about, some he even loved, but this was different, it was the most intense physical, emotional, and sexual connection he'd **ever** felt as he kissed Barry, slowing down so he was barely moving inside him, staying pressed up against the right spot so Barry was gasping for breath in between kisses, his back arching as he finally adjusted to the feel of him, his hips moving, his arms coming around his waist then lower gripping his rear, urging him forward, letting him know he was finally ready to take more.

 _-And he gave it to him,_ pulling almost all the way out and ramming back into him  **hard** as Barry was crying out, one ear-splitting yell after another as he took him brutally, his hard body slamming up against Barry's, his full weight behind every thrust.

He watched Barry's overwhelmed expression, his wet lips open on a gasping O, his eyes slamming shut, his face reddening, his brows furrowed, his expression almost one of pain as he reached the precipice  _hard_ , -helplessly calling out his name, _and God that did things to him_

He grabbed Barry's hands pinning them above his head, slamming into him the right way so he was hitting the right spot inside him as Barry grew harder trapped between their sliding stomachs.

Barry could bring himself over the edge in a few lightning fast strokes _but he wanted to make him come without touching himself._

Barry was gasping, his breath breaking on a loud sob as if he couldn't take it, as if it was too much as he took him **harder** , ruthlessly _hurtling him over the edge_ as Barry was sobbing out,“Oh god-oh god, I'm gonna, I'm… you're making me… -oh god Oliver,  _I'm gonna come!”_

He stilled then, fighting off his own impending climax, staying rammed deep inside Barry so he could _feel_ him coming, clenching and releasing him deep inside, his whole body shaking, his seed spurting between their stomachs.

 _ **It pushed him over the edge ferociously hard** ,_ his own body tensing up, his climax slamming into him as he started pounding into Barry.

Coming inside him took him to a place so intense it swamped him, overwhelmed him, took him over, he didn't understand. It had _never_ been like this before, he couldn't control his body anymore he was slamming into Barry harder and faster, -he could hear himself saying things to him, whispering dark things against his soft lips but he didn't know the words, they were in an ancient language that flowed forth from his mouth unbidden, _what was happening?_

- _He could feel it_ , and suddenly knew it was the power, the magic he'd consumed and wielded to defeat Damien Dark, -that it was fluid, could go either way depending on the bearer, and right now he wasn't thinking of protecting as he had been then, he was thinking of _ **owning**. _ He wasn't thinking of saving, he was thinking of _**capturing**. _ He wasn't thinking of giving, he was thinking of _**taking** ,_ and somehow the power he'd mistakenly thought used up and gone was exploding through him with a force he couldn't control, all he knew was his body was _craven_ for Barry, rough and out of control as he was holding him down, the bed thundering against the wall with the ferocity of his ramming into him.

Barry was making sounds of pain he dimly realised over the roaring of his own blood in his ears, his palms were pressed against his sweat-slick chest, fingers splayed pressing up urgently as he was hammering into him taking him brutally hard. Barry was fast but he didn't have super strength, he couldn't stop him without using his speed, he was _trusting_ him to stop, rather than using his powers to _make_ him- and it was that, which made him fight for control. 

_He never wanted Barry to stop trusting him._

His body was hot and dripping with sweat as he slowed down, rocking into him slowly, finally regaining control of the magic, feeling the pulsing throb of it ebbing away in his veins as he groaned collapsing over Barry.

_It was a while before speech became an option._

“I'm sorry” he finally managed “it's this thing I did with magic a while back. I thought it was gone, but it just came out of nowhere - _are you alright?”_

“I'm fine, I didn't mean to back out on you, um, it's just you were being really rough, I mean way more than before, and it kinda hurt, and I mean I can take it I guess, but your eyes were glowing and you were saying some pretty weird stuff about wanting to keep me or something. You weren't really making any sense and most of it wasn't in a language I understand, -so I figure  all that was the magic talking?”

 _He didn't know._ “Magic can do strange things, but I was able to control it when I realised what was happening, I just wasn't expecting it”. He eased out of Barry as gently as he could “I'm sorry I hurt you”.

“It’s okay”.

“No, it's _not”._

“Look, I'm fine, nothing damaged, I'm tougher than I look and I heal fast remember? -Not that I need to heal, you really didn't hurt me, like seriously or anything, -and it's not your fault. You're right, Magic can do weird things. Joe says he never met a sorcerer type power that didn't have some kind of weird grab-ass agenda, and-

-“Barry. I am really sorry I hurt you, but can we _please_ not talk about your dad right now”.

Barry smiled at him sheepishly, and his heart did that weird thing it sometimes did when Barry was being insufferably adorable.

“Sorry, I kinda killed the mood didn't I, -hey” Barry touched his face gently, his soulful eyes gazing up at him searchingly “… are you okay Oliver?”

_He couldn't believe Barry was worried about **him** right now._

“Are _you?”_

“I told you I'm fine. I um, think I needed that”.

“I think we both needed that”.

He leaned down and kissed Barry hard because he wasn't even close to done with him, he wanted more... but he wasn't sure Barry could take it despite what he said about not being hurt. -So he concentrated on something he wanted to teach him instead, because the gentle way Barry kissed said he'd only ever kissed girls without powers and was suitably cautious with their soft lips and fragile bodies. _He clearly didn't know how to kiss a battle-hardened warrior who wanted him fiercely._ He wasn't like the fragile little love interests Barry was used to.

In fact, according to what Felicity told him about the results of tests she and Caitlin had recently run on his and a host of others DNA, he was technically not an ordinary human. He ranked alongside individuals who were able to do incredible things through having abnormally high IQs like Felicity, or high levels of athletic and healing ability that saw them routinely surviving impossible odds and physical damage that would be fatal for ordinary people. In his case, on top of having elevated athletic and healing abilities, he could also hit targets most people couldn't even see _and_ wield magic notorious for corrupting and killing the host without either happening. Apparently he, Felicity and others like him were able to do things no amount of training would allow ordinary people to accomplish because they were, in fact, borderline metahumans, who missed the lowest end of the military's hastily devised metahuman spectrum by a **single** mark, leaving them still classified as human. **Just.**

 _-But classifications could be changed,_ and considering what just happened with the magic, he was suddenly all too aware that people like him were actually fortunate there were shark men and weather wizards around so nobody cared about people like him and Felicity, because if ‘athletically gifted’ or ‘intellectual genius’ were suddenly reclassified as ‘low ranking meta’ -well, the discrimination that would inevitably follow would _not_ be pretty.

Any way you looked at it he was about as far away from leading a normal life as you could possibly get. Normal people didn't lead a league of vigilantes, or a league of assassins for that matter, or be part of bringing people back from the dead, - _or have magic coursing through their veins._

He distracted himself from thinking any more about this new problem in his life by giving his all to the pleasant task of teaching Barry how to kiss him deep and _hard._

He would never say it but Barry's cute attempts to copy him were _adorable_.

Despite his intentions to leave it at just kissing, because he still wasn't sure Barry could go another round, his arms were tightening around Barry, his breathing quickening, his body heating up. _He couldn't help it, teaching Barry how to kiss him the right way was making him hard._

“Oh, you're um, ready again?” Barry sounded nervous.

“It's all right” he murmured in between hard dominate kisses “I'll stop if you want me to”.

Barry put both hands on his face and looked at him in a way that sent his body temperature soaring as Barry pulled him down for another kiss whispering “You don't have to stop” against his mouth.

_Good_

He busied himself with going down on Barry, which was rapidly becoming a fetish, -but once again he barely got to touch him before Barry was coming hard, his body arching up as he cried out, his hands fisting in his hair again in the way he was already hooked on, just as he was hooked on the way Barry collapsed back on the bed flushed, spent, _his for the taking._

He nudged Barry's legs apart lining himself up slowly, rubbing himself over where Barry was hot and still so tight he was fighting for every inch as he pushed into him until he was as deep inside him as he could get.

Barry's hands were flexing into fists at his side and he was grimacing while making little muted sounds of pain, so he stayed still inside him, placing rough hungry kisses along his neck until Barry's hands came to his hips, finally urging him forward.

Their gazes locked as he started moving slowly inside him, the connection between them **palpable** , a tangible physical thing he could actually **_feel_**. It was more than just staking a claim or taking what was his, he'd done plenty of both in his life, this felt different... special, _intimate_ as he rested their foreheads together, their breath mingling wet and warm and God Barry felt _so good, so **good**_ , -he wanted, _needed_ to have more of him, _harder, **deeper**._

He adjusted his position so he could get better access, his strong hands encircling each of his ankles, spreading him wide, speeding up, pounding into him, listening to him sobbing and crying out his name, low and wretched, high pitched and frantic, quicker, faster, just his name, _his name, **his name** ,_ and suddenly Barry was exploding for him, coming apart underneath him as he pulled Barry's legs around his waist, rising to his knees, picking him up effortlessly, moving him up and down on him until it made him come blindingly **_hard_** , searingly **HOT** magic flooding wildly into his veins, spurring him to lose control like before, but he was ready, fighting and banishing the tide so it couldn't take over, -the remaining magic in his veins _combusting violently,_ sending incendiary sparks of pure **_FIRE_** racing through his body as he was coming even harder, holding Barry tightly against his body, growling louder as Barry **_screamed_** out his name, collapsing in his arms.


	3. Magical Implosion

Oliver lay Barry down collapsing over him _exhausted_ , **wrecked** , -his body tingling, the intense feeling of magic burning and searing through his veins.

His climax had been so violently intense his vision had whited out, he could still barely see, barely breathe, his heart pounding in his chest as he held Barry tightly underneath him, suddenly worried he'd been too rough, but even as the thought hit, the urge to take him again surged through his body, -god the magic in him was like mystical potency drugs, _he could just keep going_.

He kissed Barry's mouth hungrily, their hot wet bodies sliding against each other as his lips travelled down the side of his face neck and collarbone to his chest, biting and tonguing his nipples, making Barry jolt and gasp, shaking and shuddering underneath him as he thoroughly claimed him with his mouth, kissing his way down his stomach while running his hands over his lean defined abdominal muscles, his large hands seeming coarse and battle-scarred against Barry’s soft pale skin as he turned him over roughly, pulling his hips up sharply.

‘Again’ Barry sobbed.

He didn't know if it was a question, statement, or request. ‘Only If you want me’ he growled.

Barry moved back toward him in response and he seized at his consent as if it were a tangible thing he could hungrily sink his teeth into, the way he was sinking his teeth into his shoulder as he mounted him.

‘Are you ready?’ he growled demandingly in his ear, pulling his head back and taking his mouth in a hot dominate kiss before he could answer, his hand sliding around the front of his body to grip him, stroking him roughly.

Barry gasped out his name, his head falling back against his shoulder, his sweat-dampened hair jet black and soft rubbing against him, the moonlight flittering into the darkened room illuminating his pale skin, making him appear to glow as he stroked him. _It was like he was defiling an Angel_ was his sudden thought, and he fully expected to feel guilty for giving into his desires and taking him despite everything he'd done to preserve his innocence and protect him, -but he didn't feel guilty. _Instead_ , _he was **ravenous** for him,_ -and not for the first time he was forced to acknowledge there was something almost **dark** underlying his desire, a hunter-conqueror thing driving his instinct to capture him, feast off his sweet innocent taste, and _devour him._

 _‘You should see how beautiful you look right now’_ he growled in Barry's ear knowing he just didn't get his own appeal. _He never had._ He didn't understand what the long line of his neck, beautiful soulful eyes, sweet lips, and strong yet pliant body could do to a man who wanted him.

Thawne-Wells had got Barry's appeal.

As had Real-Wells.

-And Jay-Zoom.

-And an annoying host of others he'd caught eying Barry wondering what it would be like to bend that strength to their will and take him.

The dominant side that needed to **_conquer_** was something Barry just seemed to bring out, certainly with him, _and right now, that need was driving him crazy._

He took himself in hand, rubbing his broad tip over the pristine ring of muscle that didn't look even a tiny bit tender as he would expect after his first time, and he suddenly realised what Barry's ability to heel at super speed from anything minor meant for Barry's sex life. -It meant he would _always_ look like this, always look _untouched_ , no matter how much he or any man _had_ him.

The sudden spike of jealousy that stabbed into him at the thought of another man taking Barry like this was so severe it caused him _actual_ physical pain for a moment, his hands inadvertently gripping harder on Barry's hips, hard enough to leave marks as Barry moaned and sobbed tilting his hips up a little more as if he thought he was disciplining him. -He ruthlessly stamped down the dark thrill of latent excitement _that_ idea caused and focused on the sudden blinding jealousy coursing through him, - _because it was **dangerously** strong._

He didn't want anyone else to have him _ever_ he realised, -but deep down he must have known that all along, _how the hell had he deluded himself into thinking this could be a one-night thing?_ -He'd been an idiot _._ He should have realised how savagely possessive his feelings were sooner, -that he couldn't _stand_ the thought of anyone else seeing him like this.

-He would have to come to terms with that later, -right now he had other concerns, _like the fact he needed to be inside Barry **now.**_ _‘I want you’_ he snarled in Barry's ear, riding up against him slow and hard, his breathing harsh and intense, ‘I can't take it easy this time, can you take it? Do you want to?’ He pulled him into another hard kiss his blood heating to boiling point as Barry was sobbing ‘yes’ against his mouth destroying what little control he had left as he pushed him down onto all fours his hands gripping his pale rear, spreading him open so he could watch as he penetrated him, watch his broad head pushing past the tight virginal ring of muscle, stretching him as Barry struggled to take him.

Barry was sobbing out his name as he slowly drove all the way inside him, but he couldn't give him more than a second to adjust, his control had burnt away in a wild inferno of need and he was gripping Barry's hips, holding him still while slamming into him, taking him hard and fast.

The harsh sounds of flesh slamming against flesh, Barry's sobbing and his own deep growling made a brutal primal soundtrack as if he was being too rough with him, _as if he was hurting him,_ -but he didn't want that, he wanted to make him feel good.

Barry moved back against him, and he couldn't help growling harshly as Barry started moving his hips in time with his thrusting into him, learning as fast as he always did and it got so intense they were both crying out, the sensations _wrecking them until_ Barry was shaking and trembling, collapsing forward suddenly, his cheek on the mattress as if his arms couldn't support him any more, the angle tilting his hips up further giving him complete access, _complete dominance._ -And he took it, ramming into Barry faster and harder while fighting the overwhelming urge to come, touching him every place he could, stroking his hands over Barry's over-sensitised body while leaning over his back and placing hungry kisses along his neck and jaw.

Barry was crying out, his mouth open wide, the side of his face pressed against the mattress as he just, **_took it_** from him, - and _It was driving him crazy._ -All of it. How well Barry was taking him, how much he seemed to _need_ him to give it to him like this, rough and hard, -and god, Barry felt _**so good, SO DAMN GOOD**_ and suddenly the sharp burn of roiling _**HOT**_ magic was spiking his veins, racing through his body, and he wasn't going to be able to fight the need to come much longer no matter what he did including trying to stop because _it was too late,_ he _couldn't_ stop even if he wanted to, his body had taken over, slamming into Barry over and over as Barry's sobs grew louder, his face flushing red, his whole body getting hotter and wet with perspiration as he tightened his grip on Barry's hips taking him savagely hard.

‘So hot’ Barry was sobbing, ‘ _you're so hot’,_ and he doubted Barry meant his looks because the magic was boiling wild and out of control in his veins making his skin hot to the touch. ‘Oh god Oliver _oh god_ I can't take it, I can't, it's too much, please, _it's too much!’_

His whole body was on fire, searing hot spikes of pleasure searing into him, _he was going to come!_ -but he fought it off desperately because Barry wasn’t there yet. ‘I've got you, he managed to growl out. You _can_ take it, - _I want you to come Barry,_ I want you to touch yourself for me’.

It didn't help his desperate fight for control that he'd fantasised about ordering Barry to touch himself often. He knew he would do it as fast as he did everything else and he fantasised about teaching him how to do it slowly, imagined how his innocent eyes would widen as he discovered how to pleasure himself at his commands, _his_ instructions, -until he was making himself come, flushed and gasping and spilling over his own fist, -then he would _taste_ him, holding him down and hungrily licking him clean while he was panting, spent and helpless, _that part of the fantasy usually **finished** him._

‘Not like that, touch yourself slowly’ he commanded roughly, as he covered Barry's slim fingers which were racing over his hard length speedster fast just like he'd always imagined. He clamped down hard with his much larger hand and Barry let him take control _but he couldn't hold back much longer!_ He felt like he was being burned alive from the inside out, _and god, he was so damn **hard** for Barry it actually hurt. _ -Every vein in his body, including where he was inside Barry was burning with raw _**FIRE**_ -his thrusts becoming discordant, _frantic_ as he was pounding into Barry, masturbating him hard while Barry was screaming out his name and erupting over his fist, his voice strangled in the back of his throat as was shaking and crying out, ‘oh god **oh god** ’, _and he made him come harder,_ using his skills ruthlessly and mercilessly, wringing every drop from Barry until he was jolting against him strung out, over sensitised, shuddering and **_begging_ ** ‘Please Oliver, I can't take anymore, I want you to come now, _please, **come, COME!** ’ _

He pulled Barry up hard, clamping his hand down over his mouth, his chest pressed up against Barry's back as he held him still, forcing him to be quiet _because he had to stop saying that! **Barry begging him to come was driving him beyond the limits of his restraint.**_ His blood was pounding in his ears, _roaring_ at him to _**take**_ , to _**claim**_ and before he knew it he was biting down hard into the back of Barry's neck, his strong arms closing around him as Barry's head fell back against his shoulder and he took his mouth rough and hard the way he was taking his body. ‘You wanted it’ he growled roughly in his ear, ‘you wanted me to come for you. I can't hold back anymore, _tell me you can take it, **tell me you want it’**_ he demanded, pushing Barry forward onto his stomach and laying over his back, his arm sliding around under his throat pulling his head back, his other hand at his hip holding him down as if he was resisting even though he was pliant and spent underneath him sobbing, ‘Please come, please come’, _making him even crazier_ as he was ramming into him, his climax bursting from him in savagely explosive torrents, the magic in his veins a raging conflagration as he fought hard to restrain it but it was useless. Holding back for so long took its toll and the magic _detonated_ in a wild blast of _**RED HOT**_ energy he couldn't control as he straddled him and just **_pounded_** him through the mattress while Barry _screamed_ out his name over and over, **_obliterating_** what little sanity he had left.


	4. Magical High

‘B-ar-ry’ he panted having to gasp for air between each syllable, ‘are you _alright?’_ ... Wait, was that _sunlight_ flittering into the room? hadn't it been moonlight a while ago?...

 _Had they been having sex_ **_all night?_ **

His fingers were wet with Barry's seed where he must have been making him come... he didn't remember making him come again, which meant _he'd lost count_ as he licked Barry from his fingers. _-god he loved the way he tasted._

Barry was on his back watching him, -wait, hadn't he been face down? He was rammed deep inside him, throbbing and tingling as if he'd just come, he didn't remember turning him over and starting again, which meant _he'd lost count of how many times either of them had come._

‘Do you _really_ love doing that, tasting me I mean?’

‘Yes’. he growled simply while licking his fingers clean.

‘Wow that's... woo... can't decide if it's hot or dirty, or like dirty-hot, _iz thatsa thing?’_

Yes. It was definitely a thing. -Wait, was Barry _slurring his words?_ -His eyes were unfocused, he seemed... dazed, _out of it,_ as he started up at him with his sparkling eyes even brighter than usual. ‘Barry, are you _sure_ you're alright?’

‘Yup, I'm _gooood_ ’. Barry stretched like a cat, I am sooooo good, you have no idea, are you good? I'm guuuuddd’.

_Something was wrong..._

Barry looked and sounded... _drunk_.

‘Barry _look at me’_ , he ordered trailing the finger from the hand not currently licked clean of Barry's seed across his line of vision. An odd thing to do when he was still inside him, but something was clearly wrong. _He couldn't follow a simple sobriety test._

‘Barry-

-‘Im, I'm fine, in facts, mmm better than fine, that was... feels sooooo really _good’._

He stared down at Barry taking in his too-flushed face and bleary expression. ‘Barry. I'm not sure how, but I think you're... _drunk... off me,_ -well off the magic in me anyway’.

 _‘Yeah I am!’_ Barry giggled.

 _It didn't help that it was adorable._ ‘Frigging magic’ he growled through clenched teeth, easing out of Barry and staring down at him concerned.

‘Maybeer the magic is doing like weird things with the speed force, -ya know in ma speedster body, chemistries, thing whatever ... not complaining! Cuz ya know what I don't know if I ever told you this but I can't get buzzed, like _at all’._

‘You've told me’.

‘Nooooo can't do it, ma metabolism breaks everything too fast down, can't get buzzed, _did I ever **tell** you that?’_

‘Yes, you've told me that’. _This wasn't good._ He moved off Barry and ran his hand across his own forehead wiping off the sweat while staring at Barry equal parts bewildered, frustrated, and concerned because _why the hell had the magic done **this** to Barry?_ It wasn't like they were both drunk, _he was stone cold sober,_ -and if he couldn't sober Barry up or his body didn't somehow heal him, he was going to have to call someone for help because there was no way The Flash could be running around drunk at super speed.

Caitlyn Snow was the obvious person to call, but Team Baby, or Team Flash as they liked to be called, was a single-headed organism. You told one, you told all, -which meant Joe West, here, armed, and shooting him for screwing and intoxicating his precious son quicker than he could say _Wally don't speed your dad here._ Only bring Caitlin.

He was debating what to do and trying to figure out how serious Barry's condition might be when Barry sat up grinning at him then trailing his fingers down his chest, which made him shudder inadvertently, his body still tingling from coming so many times.

 _‘You’,_ Barry drawled smiling, his eyes sparkling as he drew hazy patterns on his chest with his finger. ‘You got me **buzzed!** - _I'm buzzed,_ I am like soooo buzzed, but not like drunk like, whoa! -Is this what weed is like? I think I'm high and drunk, -dude! _You fixed me!!!’_

Barry pulled him forward, his face earnest, his tone grave as he looked around the room as if checking for the sudden appearance of onlookers. ‘Oliver’ he whispered, ‘we can't tell _anyone_! Joe will be really mad, -I mean I never did drugs like ever, but this has to be _way_ better’, Barry's flushed face reddened further his mouth breaking into a sudden wide grin, ‘dude I just realised it's like not even illegal! -cus you're not a drug, I mean you are a drug or you have one in you or whatever, but when you put it in me... that sounds kinda weird’... Barry looked worried for a moment, then his mouth broke into an even wider grin -‘but it's like _totally_ legal, _it has to be,_ and now I can get buzzed so I don't have to be so stressed all the time. I am sooooo relaxed now’ Barry collapsed back on the bed and grinned at him, ‘just when I think you can't get any more cool Oliver, dude you're like _seriously_ the best, big brother _**ever** ’._

**Brother!** _That had better be the buzz talking!_ They had been having sex all night, Barry couldn't seriously see him as a... -but he did he realised bitterly as Barry punched him lightly on the arm in a buddy like -Go Team Us- gesture.

_He supposed he should be grateful Barry wasn't trying to high-five him._

He sighed and looked down at Barry who was laying back humming a happy tune, his whole body looked like it was glowing faintly, -correction, he _**was** _ glowing, _what the hell was going on?_

… Even stranger, he suddenly _knew_ Barry was essentially alright. The magic was _resonating_ between them and he knew it's intent. It wasn't harming him. It had just... made him drunk for whatever reason, -if there even was a reason he could understand. If he'd learned one thing about Magic it was that it didn't exist to serve humans, Magic was a force of nature, and just like nature, it was often wild and unpredictable.

Barry stretched again and sprawled out, one arm flung over his head and one flung over his eyes. He didn't seem to realise he was still naked, _or that he looked **edible**._

All the grabbing his arms and pulling him close all wide-eyed and earnest while trying to figure out if getting high though mystical sex body chemistry was illegal, and the drops of his seed still glistening on his finely muscled stomach, had him restraining the urge to just _eat him,_ taste him, devour him, turn having sex all night into having sex all day.

He clenched his jaw, snatching his hand back from where it was going to delve into the sweet mess smeared on his stomach and taste him. _Barry couldn't consent like this._ Not to mention that under the influence of this magical intoxication Barry looked all of sixteen, _at a generous estimation._ -If he touched him right now when he wanted him this much, -as in jaw clenched, mouth watering to taste him, hard for him, seething with lust **want** -, he might not be able to leave it there. -Given the things he'd done in his life he had to be pushing his luck as it was, if he touched Barry right now while he was completely out of it, he could just imagine any lives he'd saved versus lives he'd taken debate about where his soul would end up would become a foregone conclusion. _-He would definitely be going straight to hell._

He covered Barry with the sheet instead of touching him and backed off, forcing his disturbing thoughts away from devouring his weakend prey spread before him, his for the tasting, his for the claiming and forced himself to focus on the disturbing issue of Barry calling him _big brother,_ -because as much he'd like to think that was the magical high talking, he was pretty sure that was wishful thinking on his part.

According to Felicity, it was no secret that Barry required what she annoyingly called “a certain amount of fluffing from older men”. Unfortunately, _she hadn't stopped there._

“That means you are _in_ there Oliver, -what?” She'd asked noting his expression which he'd been sure mirrored his thoughts, _because at that point he'd wanted to crawl under the desk and just **die** if it was the only way to get her to stop talking._

Sadly, even telling her as much hadn't deterred her. _Quite the opposite_ as she launched into a full-fledged Felicity Smoke 900-word-a-minute tirade.

> “Oh come on, at least _you_ don't want to exploit him, like Fake Wells, Real-Wells and Jay-Zoom did, Jay-Zoom, Jay-Z, ha, I just got that, but seriously, all indicators show that Barry has some serious daddy, or more accurately daddy-kink issues.  
>  Don't tell me you're not the slightly older upstanding Vigilante-Mayor to help him with that!”
> 
> “You know, I've known he wanted to date you since the first time he met you and saved your life. And it wasn't just him. _I saw the way you looked at Barry._ -An arrow wasn't the only thing you were thinking of putting in him! _-I'm just saying,_ you wanted him and he wanted you. I even told him so to his beaming, adorable face when he was all a quiver about how you were a ‘billionaire by day, and a hero at night’. -My point is _why aren't you dating him?!_ The thirst, as Cisco says, is real! -Which means one or both of you has to be an idiot! I'm still undecided about who, but my moneys on you -because you at least have figured out how you feel! You're just not _doing anything thing about it, -and I swear to god Oliver, if you tell me the reason you're not dating him is some Shakespeare era nonsense about protecting his virtue, like-_
> 
> _-“Lo that I love him, yet must I, dark soul that I am, also away from him, yay to protect his innocence, -though secretly I do lust after it from a-far and when we occasionally team up a-near”-  
>  _ 

> 
> **_-“I will steal your frigging car Oliver_** _,_ drive it 600 miles to Central City, rig an 80s style Boom Box under Barry's window, put a cardboard cut-out of you in the front seat, **and make him think you're cheesy 80s serenading him!** -Although in these more socially conscious times that's thought of more as stalking, but, you know what, I'm sure he's watched enough 80s movies to get the gesture in the spirit it is intended! What I'm saying is _romance_ Oliver, have you tried any _actual **romance?** ”_
> 
> - _“Also I know just the song!_ Tears for Fears - Head over heels. I'm just saying if you're gonna Boom Box serendae him while standing under his window yelling his name _you should do it right!”_

Then She'd waved her phone at him threateningly and hit play. - 

-Managing to intermittently glare at him menacingly and sway to the music as the video played and the song flooded the room.

There had been literally _nothing_ he could say to her as she gave up glaring and shimmied around his desk, not even _**get the hell out of my office** , -_because not for the first time Felicity Smoke had rendered him _speechless._

...But after what Barry had just said to him he was forced to concede that Felicity _might_ have a point. **_Although it would be a cold day in hell before he told her that!_**

He looked down at Barry who was part humming part singing some inane pop song about shaking off hate or something, and thought about what Felicity had horrified him with at his office... It was true, he supposed, Barry did have a host of older men in his life that he saw as mentors, what with Joe, Henry Allen, and an ever expanding brace of Harrison Wells-es.

Since he was younger than Barry's host of other mentors, Barry didn't hero worship him the way he did them, if anything he treated him like a bossy older brother he looked up too, without being blind to his flaws like he'd been with fake-Wells.

That was what he'd always thought... But the day he'd gone to Central city to deal with the assassin Boomerang-

-Joe West had demanded they have words. “My sons face lit up like it was Christmas when you swooped down from the sky and saved him, and frankly that scares the hell out of me.

Look I'm an old cop and I'm gonna tell it to you straight. You're not a hero you're a vigilante that's killed at least 29 people _that we know of_ -And I do **_not_ ** want Barry thinking that's something to look up to”.

Joe had gone on to accuse him of exploiting Barry's “obvious hero worshipping” and insisted it wouldn't end well and he'd be damned if he'd just sit back and watch his kid get into trouble running around with a known killer. Fake-Wells, had also been there but he hadn't said a word electing rather to glare at him from what they now knew was his speedster-charger modified wheelchair while faking paralysis, He'd thought Wells was plain creepy and weirdly obsessed with Barry, and Joe was being as crazy as only a parent could be when they thought their precious child had fallen in with a bad crowd, which, insultingly, although not necessarily inaccurately, was how Joe had and still did see Team Arrow.

Barry was always telling him Joe was a wise man. Clearly, he should have listened, because Joe had been on to Thawne-Wells all along and had been key in uncovering his subterfuge. -And if Barry had been, or was still big brother style Hero worshipping him as Joe had said, _then clearly, he'd missed it completely._ He'd thought Barry saw him as someone he could turn to in a crisis. -And even if Barry had clung to him and called out his name last night while he let him take and even ravage him it had only happened because he'd needed it. Now he wasn't in despair anymore, he wasn't broken anymore. Just like he'd said he knew he'd have to, he'd bounced back. He was glad for that of course, but any hopes that Barry might see him a different way now were quickly fading.

It had been as intense as the sun between them, but now despite what had happened Barry not only didn't see him as a lover, _he didn't even see him as a **potential** love interest._ Felicity was irritatingly right as usual, his “Child Bride” as she often annoyingly referred to Barry didn't get it, and unless he spelt it out for him he probably never would.

 _-But how could he, wouldn't that be dragging him into something he clearly wasn't ready for? -_ Complicated sexual situations and even more complicated potential relationships were difficult things to navigate for adults with years of sexual experience, _he should know,_ and Barry had very little experience with lovers and only one attempt at a real grown-up girlfriend, that had ended in her leaving him.

 _Barry didn't get it at all._ -He didn't have enough experience to realise no friend, not even one with benefits, took you the way he had all night long _unless they were desperately hungry for you._

‘Awww it's wearing off’ Barry pouted. _It didn't help that it was adorable._ ‘I mean I'm still feeling it but... Oh, well at least it lasted longer than that time Caitlyn made me 500 percent proof vodka’.

_She what?_

-‘It only lasted like less than a minute, but I appreciated her trying’.

_The last thing he would have ever thought of the reserved, respectable, Ms Snow as was a moonshine maker._

‘Gotta um say that was pretty unexpected, not the buzz I mean and thanks for that, so yes the buzz I mean, but I'm talking about the um, and well um wow, … are you always so… intense, or… was that the magic thing? … The times right at the end when you, um… when you  _finished_ , it kinda felt like your body was on fire...’

‘The fire thing was the magic. The rest was all me’.

‘Wow, um I mean, okay, explains how you got Laurel and her sister to fall in bed with you -I mean you really know what you're doing - _oh my god I'm_ sorry!’

‘I miss her Barry, every day, but it's okay to mention her name, Laurels not a ghost to me, she's with me every day’.

Barry turned to look at him and he found himself trapped in those eyes, expressive in a way he could never be, Barry's emotions were always written all over his face.

‘I'm sorry about what I did, coming here and asking you too…I was… I was...’.

‘At the end of your rope, believe me, I've been there. We all have moments where we feel we can't take anymore Barry’.

‘But I bet most people don't usually beg their freinds to… _god that's embarrassing’_

‘Listen to me Barry, you have _nothing_ to be ashamed of’.

‘I guess I just don't want you thinking your friend is in the habit of begging guys to kill him and then letting them, um… well, um… just because he's having a bad day’.

‘It was way more than that Bear’.

‘Wait did you just call me _Bear?’._

‘I did. Deal with it’.

‘Only Felicity calls me that, everyone else is saying Bar, -anyway, Um, Oliver I've been kinda meaning to ask you something, except I was never gonna ask, but now I'm like what the hey!’

‘...Okay’.

‘Did you and Roy ever…’

‘Ever what?’

‘You know what we, um… that whole, um thing we just did’. ... UH-oh’ Barry grimaced, ‘I know that look, it's the -Oliver's heads about to explode shark smile-’.

‘The _what?’_

‘You know, it's like when a shark _looks like_ it's smiling at you but it really isn't cus the smile never reaches its eyes and you know it's going to kill you the first chance it gets’.

‘That's because most of the time you _are_ driving me crazy and I _am_ about to kill you Barry. But I'm going to let this go because you're clearly still a little out of it, or you wouldn't be asking me inane questions about Roy’.

‘Soooo… you _didn't_ sleep with him?’.

 _‘What the!’_ -Oliver's eyes slid shut, ‘what do you think Barry?’

‘Weeeell, I dunno for sure, but I'm kinda thinking yes. You seem really experienced at it, with guys I mean and... um, he kinda seemed like he liked you so yeah maybe you di-

_-‘He was my little sister's boyfriend you idiot! **Of course I didn't!** ’_

‘Oh, yeah,’ I kinda forgot about Thea and Roy’ Barry cringed, ‘just forget I asked!’

‘Believe me I wish I could! -Look, Barry, Roy was under my protection, and he was a member of my team, not to mention he was pretty messed up for a while there and needed my help not my’ -Oliver took a deep breath and seemed to be praying for patience. ‘I get that my dick is apparently equivalent to several shots of strong alcohol and some serious pharmaceuticals to you, but trust me, that's never happened before, although clearly, the end result is the same, it just generally adds more complication to a situation not less. Not to mention if I'd used it to take advantage of Roy when he came to me for help, I would have been just another man using him’.

‘Okay, I'm still quite a little buzzed, and again, _thanks for that,_ -but are you really talking about your dick in the 3rd person like it's a sentient entity in its own right? -because actually, _that would explain a lot_ ’.

 _‘Barry’_ he ground out behind clenched teeth.

‘I'm sorry! look um not important. I was just curious you know, -Really, you _ **really** didn't? _ I could have sworn... -Not even like a kiss or a-

_-‘Barry!’_

‘No-No, you're right. Whatever you say Oliver. I know you cared about Roy and looked out for him. I just thought there was more’.

‘Well there wasn't’. _Why was Barry asking all these damn questions about Roy?_ Maybe all his flittering through time meant he’d witnessed something, but he probably would have noticed a scarlet speedster whooshing past in a blast of lightening the time Roy came to him begging him to end him after he was infected with Mirikuru. He had refused just like with Barry, - _then Roy had kissed him out of nowhere._ He didn't know why and he hadn't asked, he had just turned him down emphatically.

_He should have had the same restraint with Barry._ -But as much as he cared about Roy, _Barry was…_

‘Why are you so concerned with my relationship with Roy all of a sudden? I wasn't under the impression you really knew him?’

‘I mean I don't, not really, I was just curious’. He didn't really know Roy that was true, but they did have a talk once, and it had _not_ gone well...

> _“I'm glad you helped us with the bombs and everything, but I see the way you're sniffing around Oliver all wide-eyed looking for help, aren't you lousy with mentor types already? Stay away, he doesn't need a kid like you getting in his way **Flash** ”._

Curiosity got the better of him again and the question was out of his mouth before he had a chance to reign it in.

‘But would you have, slept with him I mean, if he was... like all right?’

‘What the hell? _No!_ Now where is all this coming from? Oliver rubbed his face and sighed, ‘You know what, don't answer that, I don't know what you think has been going on, but for the record, he's family, like Dig, Felicity and Thea, which means he always has a home here and a place in Team Arrow. Once again, to be clear. Roy Harper is like a younger brother to me’.

 

‘Okay. -Wait _and I'm not?!’_

Barry actually seemed indigent at the idea of him not thinking of him as a little brother. _Buzzed or not, this **had** to stop. _ ‘No Barry, obviously not. - _Do you think I would be having sex with you if you were?!’_

‘Well Yeah, I mean No, I mean that just happened. -Aside from that, I'm like a little brother to you as well right?’ Barry grinned at him, his eyes sparkling. ‘Come on, _admit it’._

Oliver sighed. Sometimes it was _exhausting_ being around Barry, _like being dragged into orbiting the sun._ Right now he felt so much older than him. Not just in physical years, but in life experience. So much of his life had been spent making bad choices, everything and anything to escape the simple fact that deep down he was a killer. ...that deep down... the part of him that was pure hunter... _liked it._

He was only just beginning to come to terms with it and to accept what Digg kept telling him, that all warriors, all soldiers, were killers. It would be impossible to do their Jobs if killing left them so ruined they couldn't go on. -And on occasion when the people they killed were seriously evil and needed to a stopped and it was a good kill, there was nothing wrong in getting a little job satisfaction. It only became a problem if you enjoyed killing for killing's sake. Bottom line, it wasn't a blessing to be able to kill, but it wasn't necessarily a curse either. Not if it meant he could do what needed to be done when others couldn't. Learning to accept that didn't make him a bad yet alone unredeemable person. Not if he protected good people.

-Maybe he could learn to accept that, maybe to keep going he would have to, -but Barry wasn't a killer, not in his heart. That was the fundamental difference between them, and he wondered if that difference would end up being insurmountable no matter how much he wished otherwise.

‘...Barry, I don't see you as a kid brother-

-‘Really? -Because the first thing you _ever_ said to me was: _“do your parents know that you are here?”_ Admit it, you just thought I was some kid who had got lost’.

 _Barry was right,_ when he'd first met him he _had_ thought he was some kid who had wandered into a grown-up conversation. _-‘Anymore_ Barry, I don't see you as a kid _anymore._ You've grown up a lot over the past few years. I see you as a friend, and a valuable comrade’.

-‘Wait is the great Oliver Queen paying me a compliment?! Wow’ Barry's infectious smile went radioactive, ‘I am like soooo flattered right now’.

Barry actually beamed at him, _like a little kid, **It didn't help that it was adorable.**_ -And he couldn't help feeling a serious twinge of guilt, becasue he just looked so damn _young._

 _... Barry's smile_ was his frigging Kryptonite. The way it lit up his eyes had got him to agree to so much over the years, -and he honestly didn't know if it was better or worse that Barry had no idea what it did to him.

He turned his back as if exasperated with Barry. He'd done it so much over the years that Barry immediately took it as a grudging yes to his question and started giggling.

‘Wow, that's just wow. No I mean it, I'm really flattered and _-oh my god I’m starving!_ What have you got to eat around here? Sorry but I kinda forgot my protein bars when I left so whatever you got, there kinda needs to be like a _lot_ of it!’

###### 

###### 

#  Chapter Bonus:

_In case you were wondering what Barry was imagining about Oliver and Roy when he was Magic-high here is a little peek into his ever loving, magic-addled brain!_

😂


	5. The Magic Induced Munchies

The bright morning sunshine was streaming into the apartment as Barry sat at the breakfast counter while he ladled pancakes onto Barry's plate, barely managing to top them off with a generous helping of soft melting golden butter and rich sweet maple syrup before Barry _inhaled_ them.

Barry could _really_ put it away, this was the third stack he'd made him already, and he was out of pre-made pancake mix, but Barry still looked hungry enough to start gnawing his own paw, so he gathered fruit and cream, milk, butter, vanilla essence, eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon, and started making up fresh pancake mix from scratch while piling blueberries and strawberries on Barry's plate to tide him over; -but the fruit disappeared in an instant, Barry eating it at super speed as he was separating some of the dry mix into a bowl, adding eggs, vanilla essence, a pinch of salt, and a little melted butter to the pancake batter he was mixing.

Barry just looked so sad and hungry as he ladled portions of batter into the hot pan-

-that he couldn't help leaning over the counter and kissing him, getting caught up in how responsive he was until he was forced to stop and concentrate on cooking before they ended up with burnt pancakes.

Barry just looked so forlorn as he waited for more breakfast he found himself suppressing the urge to clap him on the shoulder and tell him to hang in there because, A, that would be bordering on the ridiculous, - _he'd live the less than 3 minutes they would take to cook,_ -and B, he would probably get completely distracted again if he touched him, -because _Barry just looked edible right now_ with his soft dark hair a ruffled wavy mess as he sat on the opposite side of the counter wearing a borrowed short set.

His clothes were too big on Barry. The T-shirt draped him and the shorts kept sliding down his narrower hips as he kept adjusting them, his bare feet tapping the high breakfast counter chair as he waited eagerly for his pancakes _._ _It all made him look very young,_ and he felt a stab of guilt as he expertly flipped the pancakes, -but the guilt was overridden by him realising just how much he _liked_ seeing him in his clothes, his thoughts drifting to what Barry would look like wearing one of his dress shirts _and nothing else_ while he pinned him up against the wall, pushing the shirt up so he could take him into his mouth.

The pancakes were ready and he couldn't help smiling as Barry snatched the hot pancake he was trying to serve right off the spatula before he could get it onto the plate. ‘Oh man’, Barry groaned his face lighting up, ‘These are _seriously_ the **_best_** pancakes I have _ever_ tasted’. Barry was beaming with delight, there was no other way to put it as he snatched another pancake off the spatula demolishing it in an instant.

He gave up trying to serve the pancakes and just tipped them onto the plate letting Barry help himself to cream and Maple syrup while he poured fresh batter into the hot pan.

Barry just seemed so happy right now, and it was in such stark contrast to his mood when he'd shown up last night, that he suddenly wondered if Barry's speedster physiology could have been the tipping point in pushing him to the edge of despair.

Roy had suffered from mood swings, depression, and sudden bouts of dizziness when he'd first started training him, and Thea had made it her mission to drag him to a specialist and find out what was wrong. When Roy was diagnosed with Hypoglycaemia Thea had bossed him around until he followed the doctor's orders, and soon he'd been able to manage his condition through diet and taking better care of himself, with occasional minor incidents remedied by taking something sweet to stabilise his blood sugar.

-Barry had told him he'd forgotten his specially formulated high-calorie protein bars, which meant he'd run 600 miles to Star City in an agitated state of mind. It was possible that on top of being overwrought mentally he'd also physically overexerted himself, and without remedy, the combination had left him stressed to breaking point.

If he was right, this might also explain just how Barry had been able to bounce back so quickly. At the very least he would have had to seriously de-stress and remedy his glucose deficiency to recover. If all the mutually stress relieving, mind-obliterating, magically intoxicating sex they'd had all night, and the high sugar calorific meal he was demolishing right now didn't qualify as, A, considerably mellowing him out and B, stabilising his blood sugar levels what would? ... It definitely seemed to be the best explanation for how and why Barry suddenly seemed completely back to normal.

Unfortunately, this explanation also meant Barry could end up in the same over-stressed, pushed to breaking point state he'd been in again if he wasn't careful, because everyone, no matter who, had their Achilles heel, and Barry's was believing his being super-fast made him near invincible, and always taking the weight of the world on his shoulders believing everything that went wrong was his fault and his responsibility to fix.

He knew all too well how bearing the weight of the world on your shoulders wore you down, and how knowing you couldn't save everyone didn't make it any easier to accept. It didn't stop the pain from losing the people you loved slicing out bits of your soul and filling you with hate and anger. So he understood Barry's fear that the toll of having the people he loved murdered in front of his eyes had put so much dark rage in him if he lost anyone else it could take over completely, turning him into a twisted vengeance driven version of himself until he too became a **monster**. _The very thing he wanted to protect the people he cared about from._

He also knew well, how that kind of thinking caused you to doubt yourself and your leadership decisions, which weakened team morale and made you a liability in the field, _something no fighter could afford weather they had powers or not._

Barry might be an immortal speedster but he wasn't a god, he was just a good kid who had been blessed or cursed depending on how you looked at it with god-like powers, and the truth was, _super-powers and immortality didn't equal invincibility,_ which, was why he'd been able to defeat Barry on more than one occasion despite not having any powers.

Bottom line, Barry was brave, strong, and determined to do the right thing, but that didn't mean he was anymore immune to stress, pain, and suffering than anyone else. If Barry didn't start taking better care of himself, his tendency to horde stress, and overlook his body's few physiological weaknesses while constantly pushing himself to run faster, time travel, and even throw lightning, could mean it all became too much again, and _something would have to give._

He watched his ravenous, and at present particularly juvenile looking speedster cramming fruit into his mouth, and resolved to ensure he took better care of himself and **_never_** again ended up in such a state he thought planning his own suicide was the answer.

He piled pancakes in stacks on multiple plates topping them off with melting butter and maple syrup, adding the rest of the strawberries and blueberries on two more stacks.

He was just topping one off with a good serving of thick clotted cream, -none of that spray junk-,

when Barry, having inhaled his current stack, attacked the pancakes he was topping like a hungry wolf among lambs, … _an adorably cute wolf_ he couldn't help thinking,... _not that he'd **ever** admit to having such sappy thoughts out loud._

Thankfully, Barry seemed to have sobered up completely now, which was good, but he still wasn’t taking any chances. He was going to call Caitlin as soon as he finished making him breakfast and get her advice on how safe it was to let Barry speed home before letting him leave. He could use the fact she was Barry's doctor to swear her to secrecy, which should hopefully keep the rest of Team Baby – and Joe in particular out of it, but there was still the matter of _how_ he was going to explain what had happened to Caitlin without making it sound like he'd drugged Barry during sex … _Although technically that was what had happened._

 _‘Oh my **god** Ollie _ this is _soooo_ good’ Barry groaned licking his fingers.

He stared at Barry, his thoughts snapping from how cute he looked stuffing pancakes into his face, _to how sexual his groaning in culinary rapture had suddenly become._

‘Mmm, this is _so_ _good_ Oliver! I had no idea you could cook! –It's delicious, ** _god_** I just want more, s _o good’._

 _Okay - **that** was officially **turning him on!** _ -And he suddenly wanted Barry to say everything he'd just said, -minus the part about not knowing he could cook- while on his knees in front of him, **_sucking him hard._**

‘Ollie, um, I'm sorry about before’. Barry mumbled around the stack of pancakes he was still _demolishing_ faster than he could make for him.

‘I promise I won't come crying to your door, being all end me I'm evil again, it's like wayyyy too embarrassing for one thing’.

‘You can call on me anytime’. His tone was quiet and serious as he snapped out of his sexual thoughts. He didn't want the result of what had happened between them to be Barry ever hesitating to contact him, especially if he needed help.

‘I know. You're cool like that. It's what big brothers are for, right?’ Barry grinned.

 ** _This again?!_** ‘How many times do I have to tell you I _**do not** see you as a little brother’_ he growled leaning forward so his mouth was at Barry's ear, _‘if I did, would I have had you in my bed all night making you come over and over until you were **begging** me to stop because you couldn't take it anymore?’_

He pulled back and looked in Barry's eyes needing him to get the message once and for all, but up close he suddenly noticed Barry was _nervous_. ... what he'd mistaken for casual was actually false Bravado. The kid was probably embarrassed about breaking down last night like he'd said and was trying to retain a little dignity, _-and he just had to go and practically taunt him about how much he'd dominated him last night._

 ** _Damn it!_ -** Felicity was right! He really wasn't as good at reading complex emotions as he liked to think. He often thought being observant and an excellent tracker and hunter should transfer to being able to read people, but that often didn't work out as well as he wished it would, and now he had screwed up. _Royally._

 ** _-Right. The hell with it!_** He grabbed Barry by his borrowed T-shirt ordering _‘Swallow what's in your mouth’,_ noticing the wide-eyed obedient look on Barry's face as he complied. After last night, he could say Barry seemed to like him taking control sexually, probably part of the whole grossly titled daddy-kink thing Felicity was convinced Barry had and wouldn't shut up about, insisting:

> ‘You don't have to take my word for it just look at the facts Oliver!’
> 
> ‘Likes, needs, and wants to be quote unquote mentored by a succession of tall bossy older men, check!’
> 
> ‘Is blatantly seriously into your whole boss-level Alpha male status thing, check!’
> 
> ‘Enjoys dressing and seeing you dressed all in leather, check and check! Put that all together and Barry has himself a borderline, if not full blown fetish for everything you have to offer my friend. And luckily for you Oliver, his preference for displays of alpha male prowess, leather, and being fluffed stroke mentored, -innuendo intended-, are all easily transferable to the bedroom, so you know, you should probably get on that, _-before someone else does!’_

...Hmm Barry was _trembling_ as he glared down at him, but not because he was equal parts brave and terrified like he'd been before letting him take his virginity last night. This was different, the kind of trembling _anticipation_ brought on. _**Good**. He fully intended to make it **worth** anticipating. _ ‘You got me hard for you with all that groaning. I want you to use your speed so I'm stripped in the next 3 seconds’.

The look on Barry's face just before he obeyed made him think Felicity was annoyingly right once again, maybe Barry did have a fetish. -Not that he minded or was judging, because he'd definitely developed a few fetishes of his own where Barry was concerned; besides, he liked being in control, -giving orders sexual or otherwise was pretty much his default setting.

‘Now kiss me hard the way I taught you’ he commanded and Barry grabbed at him trying to kiss him deep and hard. He was still too gentle but it didn't matter because it just meant he got to spend more time teaching him how to do it right as he picked him up kissing him hard, until it grew frenzied between them and he put Barry on the nearest available surface, climbing on top of him on the kitchen counter while kissing him, ignoring the plate of maple syrup drowned pancakes that were knocked off the counter and went spilling and crashing to the floor, -he was too busy pulling his borrowed T-shirt over Barry's head and kissing the sweet taste of Maple syrup from his lips, his hands sliding down his body and hooking in the waist of his borrowed shorts as _Barry got hard for him so fast it was gratifying_.

‘I want you to last this time’ he demanded, his hands sliding down Barry's hips pulling down the shorts and exposing him, ‘can you do that?’

Barry nodded earnestly, biting into his lower lip and grasping the counter his back arching as he circled his fist around him stroking him hard.

‘Good’. He slid down Barry's body holding his hips while kissing up and down the hard length laying against his flat stomach. He pulled his legs further apart, kissing his rapidly swelling testicles and running his tongue up his length while he grew even harder, twitching against his mouth and flushing deep scarlet as he ran his eager tongue from base to tip. He gripped him hard in his fist stroking him fast while lavishing his tip with attention, licking and sucking as Barry's fists curled tightly in his hair, his whole body shaking. He was trying, he had to give him that, _but he was clearly going to come any second_. He decided to give him a break and bit down expertly sending Barry hurtling over the edge.


	6. Magic Made Mayhem

‘I'm sorry, I'm sorry’, Barry gasped out exploding in his mouth, his back arching, his fists tugging at his hair as he went to pieces sobbing and crying out his name while he sucked him hard drinking down his climax. ‘I tried my best’, he panted collapsing back, ‘I'm sorry’. He sounded miserably disappointed in himself for not lasting, and he couldn't help finding it strangely adorable for some reason.

‘It's okay’ he murmured licking his lips, ‘It's just like any other training, we just have to keep repeating the exercise until we get it right’. He bit back a smile because Barry was looking at him like he couldn't tell if he was joking or not. _He wasn't,_ he fully intended to train him so he could last for him, - _he just wasn't going to shoot him with arrows during the process like Barry's dubious expression seemed to say he was thinking!_

‘I'm not going to shoot you with arrows Barry! _How many times do I have to tell you to let that go?’_

‘Okay’ Barry panted, _but he still looked suspicious._ -On the plus side, he also looked spent, relaxed and pliable _,_ his legs on each side of the narrow counter as he lay spread out before him. He grabbed the back of Barry's thighs, yanking him closer roughly while grinding down on him so Barry could feel every inch of how hard he'd made him. He set about his mouth hungrily, making him taste himself while rammed up hard against him in the right position to take him, his palms on his rear, trying to spread his tight hole open enough to penetrate him, but it was no use, there was no way he was going to fit without lube. What could he even use in here? Water and Maple syrup were about the closest things to hand, -neither making a useful lubricant even if most of the Maple syrup hadn't spilt to the floor. … _Butter?_ He'd been using it for the pancakes, it was the pure stuff Felicity had harassed him into buying because apparently, margarine was some kind of secret killer, so it was all natural and safe to use.

He slicked them both with a little pure butter and spread Barry open with his palms ordering _‘line me up’_ as their eyes locked. Barry's slim fingers gripped him gently as he rubbed him over himself inadvertently teasing him into a frenzy while getting him in just the right position. ‘Put me inside you’ he growled unable to wait any longer. Barry obeyed, both of them crying out harshly at how good it felt as he started pushing hard into him. It was something of a balancing act as he slid all the way inside him roughly on the too narrow counter, but he didn't care, _he was too hungry for him to stop and change locations._

Barry was gasping for him in that way that drove him crazy, spurring him on as he started moving inside him. He was even tighter than last night if that was possible and he realised dimly that he was hurting him, the pained expression on his face saying he needed him to slow down and give him time as his hands pushed at his shoulders to get him to stop.

He waited for him to be ready, lavishing hot open-mouthed kisses on his cheek and neck, wondering if his being a speedster was part of the reason it felt so incredible to be inside him. He could _feel_ the electricity that ran through his body, sending amazing electrical jolts from Barry into him that got stronger and stronger as he drove him to orgasm, and when he did make Barry come... _**It was indescribable**_

Suddenly he wondered if Barry was actually ruining him by giving him the best sex of his entire life, because how could it possibly ever feel this good with anyone else? ... _but did he even **want** to be with anyone else after finally taking what he'd wanted for so long?_ ... And did that even matter when Barry was still only thinking of him as someone he could apparently have life-altering magically enhanced sex with, and not have it change his weird view of them having a big brother, little brother relationship? _He didn't know,_ -so he kissed him instead of telling him that he wanted more than just a onetime intensely insane sex thing. _That he'd wanted him from the first moment he'd looked into his eyes._

…Yes, it _was_ the _**first**_ time they'd met he realised now. He hadn't understood the pull between him and some _kid_ at the time, and he'd been suitably wary but nonetheless, right then and there, even though he hadn't wanted to admit it, _he'd known..._

The second time they'd met, after Barry saved his life in the bunker, he now realised it just **_confirmed_** what he hadn't wanted to admit when they first met, that the moment he'd looked into his eyes he'd known Barry was **_his_**.

_Just like he knew it every time he'd looked into his eyes since._

He kissed him harder as Barry's hands travelled up his spine, _the electricity in his touch **driving him crazy**_ his whole-body shuddering, hot and sweating as the kiss grew savage, _he couldn't stay still any longer._ He moved unable to hold back, -but Barry tensed up, breaking the kiss and sucking in his breath sharply, his hands suddenly at his hips pushing him back.

Barry hadn't been able to physically overpower him even in a full-on speedster versus Arrow fight when Barry was infected with metahuman induced rage.

_He didn't stand a chance now,_ but he would never want Barry to feel like he would overpower him against his will just because he physically could and was sexually dominant.

‘It's okay, I'll stop’ he whispered against his ear kissing the side of his face. ‘We don't have to go any further if you don't want to’. He pulled out of him carefully still laying on top of him on the woefully inadequate breakfast counter. The restraint having him gritting his teeth, his breath coming fast, his body hot and dripping with sweat.

‘Are you okay’ he whispered low against his lips. Barry nodded, and he held him close concerned about why he'd been hurting him so badly. Was he sore? No, he healed to fast for that. -The memory of realising he would always look and feel like a virgin as long as his body kept returning him to his original state suddenly assailed him, -and it hit him again, _the thought that he didn't want anyone else to have him, ..._ that the idea of someone else taking him, being inside him, making him gasp and moan and cry out for them _was enough to make him **crazy**. _

_Yes,_ he'd been the first, but others could have him and he would never know, never be able to tell the difference. Barry healed so fast he'd never be any less tight even if someone else had been screwing him open for hours, there would never be any lingering bite or scratch marks on him, _would he even be able to smell anyone else on him given Barry's barely fathomable body chemistry?_

He wanted **_his_** scent all over Barry. Wanted Barry to feel him like he was still inside him for hours afterwards. Wanted to leave bite marks on his neck so he'd know he'd been claimed, and his scent on his skin _so he'd know who he'd been **claimed** by. _

He didn't know how Barry would react to him telling him that, any more than he knew how he'd react to hearing he wanted more than just this extended one night stand. _Not that he **could** tell him,_ because just knowing he wanted more didn't necessarily mean he knew how it was supposed to work between them. If he went for the sort of friends with benefits thing Barry seemed to think this was Barry would be under no obligation to tell him if he was sleeping with anyone else. He trusted him to tell the truth if he asked, that wasn't the issue, it was that as a casual ‘‘sex buddy’’ he wouldn't really be in a position to demand details about anyone else Barry was with, let alone insist on exclusivity, and the never knowing if he'd been with anyone else every time he had him, **_would_** drive him **_insane_**.

Barry looked at him and their eyes locked. He suddenly realised it wasn't about tale-tell physical signs or the lack thereof. _No._ He'd know if someone else took him by looking in his eyes. He'd be able to tell if he'd experienced another man's touch by his reactions. He'd made Barry his, marked him as his own, _he'd know instinctively if someone else took what was his._

He wanted to tell him that, _but bit it back sharply,_ knowing the part of him that thought and felt that way wasn't even remotely civilised, and even if Barry might have the kind of issues that meant possessive, older, and domineering weren't entirely deal breakers, exploiting those issues was not exactly superhero like, -then again the only person that genuinely thought of him as a hero, not a hero slash killer was currently underneath him, and his opinion was the one that mattered.

_**God he wanted him**. _

He kissed him hard, doing with his tongue what he wanted to do to his body, _dominate_. He ground up against Barry, letting him feel how hard he was for him, his own breathing growing harsh and ragged, as Barry moaned and whimpered his arms tightening around him urging him on as he kissed everywhere he could while running his hands over every part of his electrically charged body he could reach, then stroking them together in his large fist until they were both torturously hard and Barry was gasping his name and shaking underneath him. He spread Barry's legs wider, realising as he lined himself up that having Barry do it before, and getting so excited by how good that felt might have meant he hadn't paid enough attention to the angle he was going in, maybe that was why it had kept hurting.

He watched Barry's face using his skill to get the angle just right by feel. _He would **never** get tired of the look Barry got on his face every time he entered him_ or the way he cried out his name as he drove all the way inside him, or the way his face flushed in strained pain-pleasure as he angled Barry's hips so he could penetrate him more, until he was pressed up tight against him as deep inside him as he could get as Barry whimpered, his breath catching in his throat on a choked sob.

He stilled, rammed deep inside him murmuring ‘Are you okay?’ against his mouth, their eyes locked as Barry nodded and he suddenly found himself biting back the savage words that wanted to burst past his lips, _-don't let anyone else take you like this, I'll know, and it will make me put an arrow through their carotid artery and **kill them**._

He kissed him deep and intense, losing himself to the sweetness of his lips, the taste of his warm mouth, the passionate way he tried to kiss him back hard, how quickly he learned, how amazing he felt, how deeply he felt the connection between them.

They were both burning hot, both dripping with sweat, and God he liked being able to do that to Barry, to make his stamina impressive speedster a hot sweaty mess, his damp hair darkened to jet black, his face glistening, his body wet and hot to the touch.

Visibly molten orange and gold electricity started sparking between them making them both cry out as Barry writhed underneath him, his hands sliding down him electric hot on his wet body as Barry gripped his rear, pulling him forward. The restraint of holding back was _torturous, he was hanging on by a thread!_ The urge to move was overwhelming, _but he had to be sure Barry was ready_ because he was at his limit, _**he didn't have any more restraint left**._ ‘Do you want it Barry?’ he barely managed to growl out, his voice harsh rough and deep, ‘can you take it?’

Barry couldn't answer because he was crying out as he savagely bit into the long length of Barry's neck, the electricity sparking between them intensifying until it was borderline painful, ‘tell me you want it, _tell me you want me to make you come’,_ -he couldn't hold back any longer but Barry still didn't seem able to form words, gasping and sobbing out as he kissed and licked at the deep red bite mark he was making on his neck. Barry dug his fingers into his rear pulling him forward harder and the last of his control snapped as he kissed him hard, and ** _gave it to him._** The angle just right so he was slamming into him deep with every thrust, their combined sounds a deafening crying, growling, whimpering, grunting, cacophony. -Barry was gripping him tightly, his cries becoming an _sobbing crescendo_ as he was pounding him savagely hard not holding back, -and suddenly flares of what happened last night were exploding into his mind, sparks of sensation laden images shooting through him like bolts of raw electricity sparked between them, making him _**ache**_ as he hardened even more, speeding up as the forgotten memories of last night were streaking into his mind.

-Barry on his side leg hooked over his hip as he rammed into him from behind while stroking him. Barry astride him as he grasped his hips and worked him up and down his length mercilessly until it made them both come, the Magic crashing through him in an explosion of fire so intense and powerful he didn't even have to pause let alone stop, _and he hadn't_. -He'd taken Barry up against the wall. On the floor. Bent over the chair in the bedroom, before literally throwing him back onto the bed, holding his legs wide open and _just **pounding**_ him, until his wails and sobs grew deafening, inciting him to greater aggression until Barry was screaming out for him and he was growling commands for Barry to say he liked it, to say he wanted it, the bed rattling off its hinges as he hammered into him.

He couldn't feel the magic rising and burning in his veins now, it seemed completely spent, which was just as well, because _it had been completely out of his control last night._

Barry suddenly vibrating his entire body, snapped made him wonder if Barry had done that last night. He still couldn't remember everything that happened and he couldn't think about it anymore because he was rapidly being overtaken by raw sensation, what Barry was doing was _**seriously intense** ,_ forcing harsh grunts and growls from his own mouth, his hands sliding under the two-narrow counter to grip Barry's rear holding him tighter, getting as deep inside him as he could because the friction felt indescribable. His whole body tightening, heat flushing through him, _He was going to come!_ He'd barely started but if he didn't stop right now it would be over in seconds! ‘Keep still’ he growled out, stilling inside him, _‘don't move’._

‘I can't help it’ Barry sobbed against his mouth. ‘You feel really good. I'm sorry’.

 _Always so honest with him._ Most of his life was in grey areas, true honesty was rare, and in Barry's case as endearing as it was strangely intoxicating.

‘I said, _**Don't. Move** ’._

Barry stilled underneath him, looking up at him and it almost undid him, because he felt the impact of that look in his darkened heart, in his jaded soul and it lit up in places he thought long dead.

He stroked Barry's cheek with his thumb for a moment because he just needed to be closer to him, which was strange considering he was rammed deep inside him.

He started moving slowly while kissing Barry, letting Barry dictate the pace, his hands on his rear urging him forward and back slowly, until he couldn't take it anymore, fisting the back of Barry's hair and savaging his neck while rocking deep inside him, pulling back and slamming into him deep and hard, loving the way Barry was crying and sobbing out his name with every thrust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nough said! 😂
> 
> ###### 


	7. Magic Marker

‘Dude, _you **reek** ’._

‘Oh, hey Cisco - _wait what do you mean I reek!’_

‘I mean you smell, and by that I mean you reek of Oliver Queen's super expensive rich-man cologne’.

‘What? No I don't! I um, just got back from running and decided to freshen up, it must be the body wash I used’.

‘Really? _Try adding water next time’._

‘What? I did! I was in the shower, Cisco, not just standing around rubbing gel on myself like a weirdo!’

‘Then try a second lengthier shower, you know, one that's actually successful in getting the smell of billionaire off you’.

‘I don't think he's a billionaire anymore, _-and what are you even talking about?!’_

‘Really? You want to play it that way? Okay, I'm saying, unless you're _trying_ to advertise to everyone in this facility that you spent the night rolling around in a pile of Oliver's laundry, and by rolling around and laundry I mean having se-

-‘No, I didn't, I mean, um, wait, that's just I, you're totally, that's um...’

‘You're trying to say that's not what happened? Then I don't know what to tell you man, maybe just burn everything you're wearing if you want to try convincing anybody that's true, - _because the way you smell sure says you did!’_

‘I'm wearing the suit! You want me to _burn_ the suit you made me?’

 _‘No_ _don't burn that!_ Just wash the eau de Oliver Queen out of it. I'm sure Caitlin and me can cook up a compound to get his smell off the suit, _and you while we're at it’._

‘No-no-no, you can't say anything to Caitlin about this!’

‘Well she has a nose so I won't have to believe me, -by the way Joe _hates_ that cologne, he mentions it like every time we deal with Oliver, and did you miss the part where he's not too impressed with him? He thinks Oliver's like a bad influence, you know more super violent than superhero, probably because of the fact he straight up kills people half the time, that's if he doesn't torture them first, - hey I'm not judging... Star City had a lot of bad guys, but Joe is gonna freak when he finds out that his precious Bar-

-‘Cisco, just stop okay, there's nothing to find out, and yeah the Arrow's methods can be a little urm... severe, but-

-‘Hey tell it to Joe not me, he's the one with a dad _and_ a cop's nose for trouble. If he smells you right now he's gonna put two and two together _and come up with loaded gun._ I can see the headline now Barry:  
_Veteran cop shoots Star City Mayor, says Mayor deserved it for molesting son’._

_‘OH MY GOD’_ Barry yelled, _‘ **DID YOU JUST FUTURE VIBE THAT?!!** ’ _

Cisco's face broke into a wide grin.

 _‘Don't make jokes like that!_ -Seriously though, is it really that bad? ...I mean can you really’ -Barry looked around lowering his voice to a whisper- _‘smell_ him on me?’

‘Yes’. Cisco nodded emphatically steepling his fingers under his chin while spinning his desk chair in half circles.

‘But I took a shower, -how is it you can, _-what are you like a werewolf now or something?’_

‘Not that I'm aware of, and trust me, you don't need a supernatural sense of smell to-

-HR walked in the room, his eyes searching for something, -‘ah there it is!’ He grabbed a drumstick, twirling it in satisfaction. ‘Franchesco. -Bar! You're back! Good to see you, we were all worried when you’ -he mimicked running legs with his index and forefinger- ‘you know, phewwwpt, just ran off like that’.

‘I'm sorry I didn't mean to worry anyone’.

‘Hey-hey no need to apologise, least of all to me. Everyone, especially you Superhero types needs a little space once in a while. I'm guessing it was one of those, weight of the world and all that situations, - the most important thing is you're back safe. Are you okay now Bar?’

‘Yeah I'm fine’.

‘Glad to hear it’, HR grinned as he walked over and clapped Barry on the shoulder. ‘Well I've got some inspirational not scientific stuff to write so - _man_ that is a _seriously **strong** _ cologne Barry!’ HR laughed, ‘bit too much for a lad your age if you don't mind me saying. You should probably wait until you get older like me for something like that, -actually can you even get as, shall we say _distinguished_ as me or are your speedy cells always going to keep you 19 like you are now?’

‘I'm not 19!’

‘- _Wait you're not!_... huh, well you will be someday, and this might be a silly thing to say to a speedster but don't be in too much of a rush to grow up there Bar, you have to savour these days of youth an-

-‘I work for the police department!’ Barry interrupted incredulously, ‘We've had drinks together! _You have to know I'm over 21!’_

‘Really! _**Over**_ 21 you say, huh that's a shock’.

 _‘What! Are you serious!’_ Barry exclaimed, turning to glare at Cisco who was doing a poor job of disguising his obvious giggling with fake coughing. ‘I am not even the early side of twenties HR, _I'm the side that's pushing 30!’_

‘Really? Huh. You know I actually thought I was being polite when I said 19. Truth be told, I actually thought you were closer to 17 if you were a day, -I just assumed Joe was letting the occasional drinking while dangerously underage slide because alcohol doesn't actually affect you; as for your job with the CCPD, I thought you were some kind of forensics child prodigy, kinda like Dougie Howser, just with dead people. You ever watch that show? Do you have that on this earth? Man that show was weird, who knew that goofy kid would grow up to be the awesome star of the stage and small screen that is Neil Patrick Harris, do you have him here? -Oop’ -HR's watch buzzed-, ‘gotta run! good to have you back Bar, catch up with you later. -Franchesco’. He mock bowed to Cisco who rolled his eyes in response.

‘Oh, wow, this whole time he actually thought I was a teenager! ... Although that does explain that weird thing he said to me about not rushing to become a man, when he caught me looking at Iris... _I thought he was joking!’_

‘And we'll circle back to the hilarity that must have been that conversation! Right now, I just want to say _told you so._ HR could smell Oliver all over you too. Why? _Because you reek of him Barry._ -Sooooo’, Cisco drawled eyeing him through a narrowed gaze ‘Do I even _have_ to ask what you were doing with Oliver last night?’

‘What nothing, I wasn't doing anything with him, um I'm hungry, you hungry?’ -Barry disappeared and reappeared again-

‘Sushi?’ he offered.

‘No thank you, Cisco declined raising his hand, -‘and no changing the subject with tasty Japanese food! Tell me _everything_ that happened’.

 _What was he supposed to say to Cisco?_ That even though he could heel he still felt raw, strung out and just _used_... and that he still wasn't sure if it was even in a good or bad way, because he didn't have any frame of reference for an experience like that!

 _It was all too much._ How was he supposed to hide from Cisco, who knew him so well, that Oliver Queen had been inside him most of last night and again this morning? Or that he'd made a total goofy idiot of himself, first in going to him practically bawling like a baby, then getting all maudlin and pre-planned suicidal, then practically, no not practically, _actually **begging** _ Oliver to help him…

And he had -but it had been too intense, _**way** _ more intense than he could even process, _and that was **before** the whole getting drunk off his magical... _

_Oh god, it was all so humiliating!_ And he'd tried so hard to play it cool in the morning, aware of what are fool he'd made of himself, but he even managed to screw that up as well, and Oliver being the kind of guy he was deep down, which was a good guy, gave him more pity sex just to get him to shut up and stop babbling nonsense...

_How was he ever supposed to face Oliver again!_

‘So I um kinda slept with Oliver last night’ he blurted out, ‘and kind of again this morning’.

Cisco looked him up and down. ‘ _Obviously_. Even if you didn't reek of him you have his’ -Cisco waved his hand down in the direction of Barry's body-, ‘ _vibe_ all over you’.

‘Oh my god really?!’

_‘No not really dumb ass!’_

‘Oh good. Um so um ...’.

‘You've been acting weird over the last few days and then you told Wally to handle anything and disappeared. I wanted to make sure you were okay, so I hacked your phone signal, and turned on your GPS remotely’.

‘Cisco’ Barry groaned, ‘don't hack my phone’. 

_‘It's done if it's necessary Barry._ -Anyway, your phone and obviously you, stayed firmly parked at the residence of one Oliver Queen last night, and then you come back reeking of him and looking like a cross between a confused internet meme and a deer in headlights, put all that together and you get-

-‘Idiot goes to friends house and makes total idiot of self’.

‘Well it happens to the best of us, -well, not me, currently, but hopefully one day, I'll get to have all the naughty sleepovers too. -And I'm sure you weren't an idiot, don't be so hard on yourself Barry, I'm sure that was his job, am I right? - _Yeah I am’_ Cisco grinned raising his palm up high, ‘Don't leave me hanging Bro’.

‘I'm not high fiving that’ Barry groaned.

‘Come on, I'll bet he was _way_ into it, and by it, I mean you. I bet he kept you up all night, _pun intended’._

‘Oh god, please stop! -And I'm not so sure he was that into it, I just think he would have done anything to get me to pull myself together and stop acting like an idiot, including what he did -oh yeah, Cisco, was there ever anything in my blood work that suggested magic could get me drunk?’

‘I don't think so’ Cisco frowned, ‘Caitlin is probably the one you should be asking she's the biochemist around here, not me. -Why did something happen? Were you attacked by something or someone with magic but instead of getting beat up you got really-really wasted? Was it cool? Can we get you magic shots instead of tequila at the bar now? Because you know kinda a waste of tequila since it does nothing for you - _wait a minute!_ Oliver had magic in him one time didn't he? -Powerful stuff right, I mean he used it to beat that super-powerful evil wizard guy, so it must have been. If some of it is still in his system, it might actually explain why his smell is so, _**on you** , _magic and speed force particles often have strange molecular reactions to each other and - _OH MY **GOD!** Did you get **drunk** off Oliver?!!!’_

Barry slid down in his chair his head falling back in despair, ‘completely buzzed I mean as in drunk _and_ high, -I _don't_ think he was pleased about it’.

‘Oh Relax, I'm sure he loved it. He got to make you all love drunk off his: shall we say _personal_ Arrow?’

‘Can we not say that, like _ever’_ Barry groaned, his eyes sliding shut.

‘Dude, I have like **_so_** many questions! Are you going to do it again, I mean do _him_ again? Is he going to be like your personal bartender? Will you go to him with your problems, but instead of giving you alcohol to drown your sorrows he whips out his-

-‘No! He's not going to be my bartender Cisco!’

‘You're magical dope dealer then, _whatever’._

‘Cisco stop! -You don't understand it won't ever happen again because I was a _total ass’._

‘If that's your way of saying you were a total bottom then I'm touched you feel you can share that with me, but why do you think that's a problem? This is Oliver we're talking about, he has waaayyy more experience than you, and he's like totally bossy by nature. I bet he loved being in charge. Don't worry about it!’.

‘Well.... yeah’.

‘See. You need to be more confident about your own sex appeal Bro, anyone ever tell you that?’

‘No Cisco. I get, _do your parents know you are here?_ -And _your mom know you're out past your bedtime?_ And _hey I was just being polite with 19 I actually thought you were 17._ Who would ever tell me I need to believe in my sex appeal when they're too busy saying stuff like that to me?’

‘Oh come on Barry, people think you're sexy’.

‘Oh yeah, _Name 2’._

‘Well Oliver for one obviously’.

‘Don't really think so’.

‘And um that girl that you dated that one with the evil doppelganger who ran out of here invisible and naked’.

‘Didn't actually sleep with Linda, and she said I was cute, that I get a lot, sexy, not so much, in fact, try never’.

-‘Um… Patty! Patty thought you were sexy, I mean girl was after you, thirst was _real’._

Barry shrugged.

‘Okay Patty left when you wouldn't tell her you were the flash, sorry, bro-code violation bringing up the ex that got, well, went away… Um… wait, didn't you tell me Ansel was a total evil dick before you travelled in time and changed things, and that when you threw his ass into the pipeline he thanked you for scooping him up dressed all in leather, hmm, fetishes are supposed to be sexy, and so by extension the people that inspire them are sexy to huh, am I right?’

‘… Um, what?’

 _-‘And_ I'm convinced Eddie Thawne had a thing for you, even if you were supposed to be rivals,

-The way he used to gaze up into your eyes and call you Barr. … I mean Iris might have been his girl, but I kind of think you were his guy, maybe the three of you could have worked something out, you know, if he'd lived. -What I'm trying to tell you Barry, is people think you're hot’.

-‘Cisco, what, _No_. Evil Ansel probably just had a thing for the suit, not me’.

‘Well it is a pretty fly suit if I do say so myself, -you're welcome for the hotness by the way’.

 _‘Thank you,_ , so much for that Cisco’. Barry drawled sarcastically.

‘Why, you're _welcome_ Barry!’

-‘And Eddie and _me_? Are you crazy, he punched me in the face!’

_-‘And he was after Iris!’_

‘Well If by _after_ you mean he was her fiancé, then-

_-‘Don't remind me!_ And please don't go on as if me and Oliver could ever be a thing, I'm telling you I made a complete and total ass of myself and not in _any_ kind of good way, if there is a good way to do that, which I don't think there is. - _I don't think I can ever face him again!’_

‘Oh come on, it can't have been that bad! -or are you actually trying to say it was that bad? -Wait are you telling me Oliver Billionaire Vigilante Queen is actually _bad_ in bed?! No way! I mean, he has this like hyper-experienced, totally boss-toppy man's man vibe he gives off, and he clearly can't seem to keep the ladies off him, ...maybe he only sucks with guys, -wait’ Cisco grinned mischievously, ‘I totally see what I just did there, oooh! And you're face says he does but only in the good way! Barry Allen, look at you, _getting some._ Come on bro, that's gonna require the high five, now give it up, oh wait you already did whaaaattttt!’

‘I'm not high fiving that!’

‘Oh come on, _why not?’_

‘Because I never lasted more than 10 seconds, - _it's part of the making a total ass of myself thing’._

‘Oooh that's bad. Well maybe your speedster thing makes it hard for you to control your, _-did you try the counting dead puppies trick?’_

Barry hung his head in his hands and groaned.

‘Well if you couldn't last he can't have been _that_ bad in bed’.

-’No, I mean yes, he was like amazing or something’.

‘Yeeaaah’ Cisco grinned, ‘the crimson -correction, beetroot shade your face is currently going says so!’ 

‘… _He wasn't the problem. It was me._ I was kinda, well, _totally_ in like _way_ over my head. -He's like an expert at sex with guys as well as girls and I'm, well, not an expert I mean not with guys... or girls, I mean I do okay, but he like, knew how to do... things and I'd never with a guy before, and I had like absolutely no idea what I was doing, and it _really_ showed, and maybe if that was just it, but...’.

He ran his hand through his hair, ‘I can't face him again because I went to him and I kinda got all emotional because a lots been going on lately and I haven't really taken time to process, and the next thing I know I'm a crying mess and I'm kind of telling, well asking, well begging actually, that if I ever start acting like Reverse Flash or Zoom or start doing stuff that means my future self was right and none of you can trust me, he should, ...well, I kind of’, he looked down at the floor his voice dropping to a barely audible murmur ‘I kind of asked him to um, -mill me...’.

Cisco sat bolt upright in his chair, his grin disappearing. ‘What was that last thing you mumbled? -Because it better be some weird new sex position I've never heard of before, _it better have not been what it sounded like,_ because it sounded like you said you asked Oliver -mass executioner- frigging Queen to kill you!!! Barry, _tell me I need to have Caitlin check my ears, **tell me you did not just say you asked Oliver Queen to kill you!!!** ’ _

Barry stood and started rapid angsty pacing, ‘I... I did kind of ask him to um... stop me, but only if I-

-‘ _ **Have you lost your damn mind Barry?!** ’ _ Cisco yelled jumping to his feet, charging the short distance between them and getting in Barry's face despite the height difference. ‘You know he has arrows with compounds in them that could probably actually kill you because you keep frigging letting him experiment with ways to stop speedsters!’

‘I know’.

_‘ **AND YOU KNOW HE'S MURDER-HAPPY, RIGHT?!** ’_

‘Yes, I know’ Barry hissed speeding Cisco to the corridor ‘ _Keep your voice down!’_

‘Keep my voice down, - _OH I SHOULD TELL JOE ON YOU!’_

‘Fine if you want me to _die_ of actual embarrassment, _go right ahead!’_

‘Better than dying of actual death, by some speedster killing arrow!’

‘Cisco just calm down. It doesn't matter because he refused to help’.

‘HELP!! You call that help! We help Barry, all of us, Team Flash, we're the good guys remember? If you really did go evil, we would find a way to stop you that didn't involve killing you’.

‘But-

-‘No’. Cisco's tone was finite and deadly serious. ‘Barry, man, you're smarter than this. Just stop and think about what would happen if Oliver Queen really did execute you even if it was at your request? Do you think any of us would accept that? Do you really think Joe, your cop father who loves and is very overprotective of you, would accept that Oliver _killed_ you?’

‘Barry Oliver might be tough, but he's not bulletproof and Joe would _kill_ him, and we would help. _I would help,_ because he's got no right do you understand? He doesn't just get to take you away from us’.

‘Then what would happen? Do you think Felicity and Diggle and Thea would just accept Joe murdering their friend, their family? -That they wouldn't come after us? -I'm good, I mean I'm brilliant, but Felicity Smoak is possibly the best hacker _in the world_ and Digg is like one of the toughest soldiers. Even if Lila and ARGUS stayed neutral and that's a big if, where could we hide that Felicity and Diggle wouldn't find us? I'm not the only meta with breach powers Barry, even if I got us off this earth, they would hunt us down, -And then what? You know Iris would protect her dad at all costs, Me, Caitlyn, maybe even HR, we'd all try to protect Joe, because he's important to all of us, and you know he'd rather give himself up than let any of us get hurt’.

Cisco's voice was low, filled with intense emotion. ‘Did you even _think_ for a _moment_ about the collateral damage, about who might get caught in the crossfire if things really went that bad between Team Arrow and Team Flash, do you even understand what you would actually be starting Barry?’

 _... A war_... he could start a _**war** _ between the people he cared about, _-how could he not have thought of that!_ How could he have thought his death at Oliver's hands would simply end things neat and tidy! _What the hell had he been thinking!_... He hadn't been thinking, not clearly. God! He should never have asked Oliver that, never have put him in that position. Death by poison arrow was not exactly inconspicuous or untraceable, his team would investigate, find out Oliver was involved, and then...

Why had he been so convinced his team would just accept it? He wouldn't if it was any one of them evil or not.

Cisco was quiet for a moment; as if trying to pull himself together. ‘I can't believe things were that bad and you didn't come to me. _You come to me if things are this bad do you understand?’_ Cisco reached up to touch his shoulders staring up at him, ‘we're best friends, that's what I'm here for. -I get that you feel you always have to be strong for everyone, but you don't have to be strong for me, let me be that for you okay. I mean it, I already lost one brother, _I'm not gonna just sit by and lose another’._

‘Don't you still… blame me for that, hate me for that?’

‘No. Not anymore. Barry if there's anyone who understands what it's like to have god-like powers it's me. I... I never told you this, but I've been to different worlds looking for other versions of my brother and they're almost always evil. In some he's good, and I get to hang around with him and it's nice you know I don't miss him so much... but the one in this world was pretty much a supervillain, I just didn't know about it, and I can't keep pretending he was perfect just because he's...’

‘So, no, I don't blame you for what happened, not since that whole dominator thing when I accidentally messed with time, and realised just how easy a mistake it is to make when you have the ability, and how little control you have over how things turn out’. -Nothing made that clearer than hanging out with the Legends. I mean these people literally time-police for a living, and yet they don't seem to know any more about how _not_ to mess with the timeline than we do!’

‘I mean Mick, -who I'm pretty sure was drunk through that entire disaster-, told me they mostly just wing it when trying to fix time screw-ups and they usually make it worse before it gets better. I guess what I'm saying is it took going through that whole Dominator drama to make me realise what happened to Dante wasn't your fault, you just wanted to save your mom and dad, there was no way for you to know, or even think that would mean my brother. ... We helped you time travel before when we needed you to get faster to stop Zoom. I can't hate you because this time it wasn't something we all agreed on. ... And if I'm honest Barry, since my powers grew, I realised statistically, the odds are that one day I'm going to be the one that screws up, and I'm going to be the one that needs forgiveness. I hope that day never comes, but if it does, I hope whoever I accidentally hurt is more forgiving to me then I was to you’.

He reached for Cisco and hugged him. 

‘I am _so **sorry** _ about your brother I can't even begin to...’

‘I don't know if this needs saying but if it does, _-I forgive you Barry’._

Cisco pulled back and they were standing close kind of holding each other. He'd messed up Cisco's hair smushing him in a hug and he tucked the strands behind his ear.

Cisco was looking at him, his warm brown eyes drawing him in. I could kiss him he suddenly thought, his eyes darting to his soft looking lips. _Maybe he should have gone to him._ If he had he wouldn’t have made a jackass of himself with Oliver, -and he doubted Cisco's powers could get him drunk.

‘Oh I don't know’, Cisco grinned, ‘I'm sure we could work something out, maybe vibe you a super strong cocktail somehow, -we won't know until we try, which I'm game for by the way. So drinks and experiments after work?!’

‘What! Are you reading my mind?!’ - _Is this some new power you haven't told me about?!’_

‘No dumb ass, you just said you were sure my powers couldn't get you drunk, so you know, challenge accepted’.

‘Oh. _-Wait, what else did I say?’_

‘Something about how you should have come to me, which is what I've been saying, although you said it kind of weird, and you were looking at me kind of weird, -wait, you weren't talking about you and me, like you and Oliver you and me were you?! Because flattered I guess _but **no**. _ -Did you completely miss the part where I called you a _brother?_ -Wait a minute, _are you still high! Is that why you don't even know what you're saying out loud?_ -Oh no this can't be good. Caitlin should probably take a blood sample. Run some tests. Do you feel hung over? How many fingers am I holding up? How the hell did you run back here if you're still buzzed? Is it actually buzzed or more like wasted? -Man, maybe you _should_ stay away from Oliver after all if he gets you _this_ messed up’.

He looked down at his concerned cute best friend, _and was suddenly pretty damn sure he'd never **once** thought of Cisco as cute before, _ not like he sometimes thought Caitlin was cute, or like he always thought Iris was beautiful. _- **What the hell was happening?!**_ He took a step back. How could he _still_ be this buzzed and not even realise it? He'd thought he was okay to run back to Central city, but maybe he hadn't been… Running while impaired had never been a possibility before, -he should have been more careful, _man he was going for jackass of the year today!_

‘Barry, look let's just go and see Caitlin and _-oh my god Oliver!’_

 _Barry **Froze**. _


	8. Magical Hangover?

Barry whipped round hoping Cisco was just messing with him again, but he wasn't. Oliver was indeed standing behind them in the Star Labs circular hallway, _-and he did not look pleased._

Cisco stared at him, then Oliver, then back at him.

He wanted to speak, he really did, but all his brain supplied was a jumbled hysterical: 

  _Ohmygod ohmygod, Oliver is here, right now, here in the lab, the man I embarrassed myself with, begged to kill me, had sex with all night, got drunk off, is here, I can't face him, Ohmygod, I'm literally facing him! Okay don't freak out, I just have to play it cool, it will be fine, -oh no that's what I thought last time I tried playing it cool and it was **not** fine, oh, WhatamIgonnado? WhatamIgonnasay? **Ohmygod!!!**_




‘So, Oliver’, Cisco rushed over and tried steering Oliver towards the lab control room. ‘Barry and I were just talking about um, his new speed... ster suit modifications and maybe we could talk about some new ideas I have for your suit...’ Cisco's voice trailed off when it became clear Oliver could not be turned, steered or even budged.

‘Cisco’ Oliver ground out staring at Barry, ‘I need to talk to Barry alone’.

‘...Okay. Barry is that cool with you because you're kinda just standing there vibrating? Are you okay dude? Look if you don't want to talk to him. I can just breach him out of here’.

Oliver's expression went from not pleased to dangerous and Barry panicked and sped over to Oliver.

‘Hey Oliver. Hi. Hey. Hey are -I mean how are you? - It's nice to visit. I mean it's nice of you to visit. Why, um, why are you visiting?...’

‘Barry. We need to talk. -But first I'm going to need you to calm down and stop vibrating. -And Cisco I am going to need you to stop hovering’.

Cisco frowned and glared at Oliver. ‘Dude I don't care how boss-alpha you are. I'm not going anywhere unless Barry asks me to. What the hell did you do to get him so freaked out anyway? -Barry did something happen last night that you didn't tell me about. Do you want me to make him leave?’

‘Cisco’ Oliver growled warningly.

‘Don't be growling at me dude. Just looking out for ma man here _because dude is **tripping!**_   -What'd you do Mr magic man?’

Oliver's eyes narrowed dangerously _as did his grip on his Bow._

-‘Wait’, Barry interjected, ‘um why did you come to see me dressed as the Green Arrow. Has something happened?’

‘Nothing's happened. _Yet_. But it always does. I came to train with you to make sure you're recovered and ready to handle it when it does. And once I'm satisfied you and me need to have a serious talk’.

‘Well we don't need you to be satisfied with Barry's performance, -wait that sounds dirty. What I'm saying is Barry doesn't need you to stamp his ass with your personal seal of approval. Damn. Also dirty’, Cisco looked at Barry who appeared mortified, ‘What I'm trying to say is, you don't have to train with him to know if you've recovered. You've got me, and a state of the art facility for that bro. You remember what happened the last time he trained you hard, right? -If you go with him he's just going to put an arrow in your -wait that sounds kinda dirty too. Seriously, I am not even doing it on purpose. Look, Barry, what I mean is you don't have to deal with him if you don't want to. Just say the word and he's back in Star city terrifying and torturing bad guys’.

‘Cisco’ Oliver snapped, his limited patience clearly already worn out, ‘I get that you are just trying to protect your friend, but he doesn't need protecting from me. _Stand down’._

‘Not a chance Oliver. Not until-

‘-It's okay Cisco’. Barry placed his hand on Cisco's shoulder. ‘Really. There's nothing to worry about. I can talk to Oliver, it's fine’.

Cisco looked sceptical and stood his ground, his stance making it clear he was ready to open a breach any time and blast Oliver through it if he had to.

Oliver clearly noticed, and the tension ratcheted up.

‘San Francisco _there you are!_ I’ve been trying to call you. Try turning your phone on’.

‘It’s on. I just have you on mute HR’.

‘Oh this guy, what a joker. Anyway, it turns out I do need to write a little bit of science for a scene in my novel, which is coming along great by the way thanks for asking’.

_‘I didn't’._

‘Oh you joker Franchesco. I know you're invested. Which is good because you know me, I don't know a hadron collider from a hadron avoider. Huh, huh, see what I did there?’ HR grinned as Cisco groaned ‘Oh my god’.

‘What's going on here anyway, are we having some kind of secret hall meeting and if so, why wasn't I invited? I can do hall meetings -Oh Oliver hey. Didn't see you in the shadows there, looking all… murder-ey… um, the suit says dangers a foot, so I won't interrupt. Good luck with the case whatever it is and let me know if I can help in any way’.

HR extended his hand. Oliver glared and then shook it briefly, his eyes sliding back to Cisco for a menacing stare down.

‘Anyway Cisco’, HR moved to walk past Oliver, ‘come find me when you're done, unless, of course you need me to stay and offer my invaluable assistance, -Oh, you know that cologne is very distinctive Mr Queen, I like it. I like it a lot. Where did you get it? Is it out of my price range? You know I was just telling young Barry earlier that a cologne just like the one you're wearing is too much for a lad his age and -oh’. HR looked at Cisco, Oliver, and Barry his eyebrows rising.

‘Cisco, you know what, I think we should take our leave, fours a crowd and all that. I’m sure Mr Queen wants to talk with young Mr Allen, -and it's just as well I found out today our young Mr Allen is not quite as young as I thought, or I'd be calling the cops right now and Joe in particular on Mr upstanding Mayor Queen here. Anyway, considering new things that seem to have... happened when young Mr Allen was away, we should probably leave these two to um... talk’.

‘Yeah’ Cisco huffed, sticking a lollipop in his mouth and muffling his words, ‘that's what he says’. He planted his feet even more stubbornly. ‘But I'm not going anywhere until I hear it from Barry’.

‘Cisco I already said-

-‘Yeah Barry, but try not being so freaked out you're vibrating when you tell me everything's okay and I might believe you’.

Barry took a deep breath. ‘Look I'm not freaked out okay. I'm not vibrating. I'm fine. You see?’

‘Prooomise?’ Cisco drawled glaring at Oliver who took a menacing step forward.

‘Yep’ Barry squeaked speeding in front of Cisco. ‘Yes’ he repeated, clearing his throat and adopting a deep voice while moving closer to Cisco and blocking Oliver's view of him. ‘I promise’.

‘Okay’. Cisco conceded reluctantly. ‘I'll be in the control room if you need me’.

‘Me too by the way’ HR put in. ‘Just in case you need me, you know for some sensible grown-up advice. In fact, let's do that anyway. Seriously Barry, please come see me later. I think you and I should probably have a talk about the kinds of things that can happen to a young boy who goes running away from the safety of his home and stays out all night in a strange city. I hate to be the one who has to break this to you Barry, but adults don't always make the right decisions. Sometimes they selfishly take what they want instead of looking at the bigger picture, and, well, I don't want to say take advantage of a young man having a hard time of it lately, but if the analogy fits-

-‘Excuse me?’ Oliver's tone was deadly. ‘Do you have something you want to say to me, whichever Wells you are?’

Barry's eyebrows rose as he looked at HR, who, usually ever the cheerful optimistic diplomat, now looked Thawne-Wells level angry, which was actually creepy as hell as he glared at Oliver. ‘Oh I'm sorry, _did something I said about taking advantage hit a nerve?’_

‘No’ Oliver snarled, his expression and tone even with his hood down and voice disguiser turned off deeply menacing. _‘But I guarantee you an arrow **will** ’._

-‘Okay!’ Barry sped in front of HR, ‘So I'm gonna talk to Oliver now.... you two um, go um’ ... He gave up midsentence speeding first HR, who seemed to be in the most immediate danger of getting shot-

-and then Cisco, who was also in danger of getting an arrow in the leg, to the control room.

‘I've got this guys. Everything is fine. We've teamed up with the Green Arrow before. I'm sure it's just about that. Nothing to worry about’.

‘Are you _seriously_ trying to play it that way?’ Cisco's eyebrows were rising incredulously. ‘You do realise me and HR already know what's really going on with you two, _and it ain't no training mission,_ and about that, I didn't ask earlier because of the whole asked him to kill me thing, _and believe me we're not done with that,_ but since when are you into big burly dudes anyway? I thought you were still hung up on Iris’.

‘Yes Iris’ Harrison nodded, ‘lovely young lady, far more appropriate choice -wait _asked him to **what?!’** _Harrison yelled horrified__

‘Urm, I'm just er, yeah so I ah’ -he sped away midsentence, _-not least of all because he didn't have answers for himself let alone either of them right now._

‘Hi Oliver so sorry about all of um... that, so um why are you here... is it a work thing or... it’s a work thing right?...’ His voice trailed off as he realised Oliver had been slowly advancing and he'd been backing up so now the wall was at his back and Oliver was just staring at him.

‘Urm What are you... um, what is it?’.

‘I can _smell_ me on you’.

‘Oh um that, dude it's not what you think, I swear I took a shower, it's just um well I think the magic is...’.

‘You think the magic is to blame?’

‘Well yeah, and it's not just that, there's um well, the neck thing, well it's not really a thing it's more of a... well a thing, but not a big thing just a-

‘Barry, _stop rambling_ and explain to me what you're talking about’

‘Well I think you um… I think you bit me… you know _during,_ but it's not, well it hasn't healed. Er I mean it's nothing, I'm healing from everything else okay. I scratched the back of my hand earlier just to see and look, nothing, it's healed but I still have the bite mark. I'm kinda glad the suit covers up the base of my neck I think Cisco would have freaked out-

-‘Show me’. Oliver's tone rarely if ever invited argument and this was no exception, so he tugged at the neck of his suit exposing as much of the mark as the rigid form-fitting suit would allow.

‘What did Caitlyn say when you showed her?’

Barry's mouth fell open. ‘I didn't show her!’

‘Why not? It seems what happened between us is common knowledge right down to the magic incident so-

-‘No it's not! No one knows other than Cisco who figured it out on his own when I got back, and I think HR just figured it out now’.

‘...Because you smell like you have me all over you?’

‘Well... yes. That's pretty much what Cisco said as well’.

‘Speaking of Cisco, when I walked in on you two earlier, were you actually intending to have some magic-induced beer googled make out session with your little best friend?’

Uh-oh _-Oliver had his dangerous shark smile expression on._ ‘No. None. I mean that was not what was happening’.

‘Really? So you're not still high? You didn't run 600 miles while impaired?’

‘Urm... you see that's… The thing about that is-

-‘Barry you are going to see Catlim right _now’._

‘No-no-no because then I'd have to tell her-

-‘No arguments Barry! If something I did to you is affecting your ability to heal you have to tell Caitlin and let her run some tests on you. Do you need me to come with you? We can explain what happened together if it makes it easier’.

‘No! Urm. That's… I think I better handle this on my own’. He would vibrate until his molecules combusted and he exploded and _**died**_ if he had to talk about what had happened last night in front of Caitlin and Oliver!

#  ** **************** **

Barry was walking at what he knew for a speedster was a despondent snail's pace as he ambled in the direction he'd last left Oliver, although he very much doubted Oliver had been lurking around in the corridor all this time.

Seeing Caitlin had been _brutal_. She had been equal parts horrified and concerned as he tried to explain to her that what was happening with his healing powers was the fault of the Magic, not Oliver. -She said if the magic had a ‘‘grab ass agenda’’ then that was because it was in Oliver and _he_ was the one that was being grabby.

She made it sound like Oliver actually wanted him for himself, which would have made him laugh if Caitlin wasn't so angry, and that was _before_ she grilled him until he cracked and confessed he hadn't used a condom. She was so furious that he thought he was about to have Killer Frost to deal with!

She told him she happened to know Oliver was clean recently because she and Felicity had been testing his blood. But Playboys like him were prime candidates for risky promiscuous behaviour and they had no way of knowing if his ability to heal actually included STDs, then she'd subjected him to a detailed and invasive STD screening no matter how hard he objected.

He wasn't surprised to find the corridor empty of Oliver and headed for the control room, dragging his feet and he knew childishly scuffing his converse along the floor, but he couldn't help literally dragging his feet. The last person he wanted to face right now was Oliver Queen.

He started picking up the pace breaking into a human speed sprint when he heard raised voices coming from the Control room.

‘Your way of base Oliver’ Cisco was  yelling as he ran into the room.

Oliver was glaring at Cisco. He didn't know what was going on but he knew that look! He'd seen Oliver annoyed with Cisco before-

-but this had clearly gone far beyond that. This was the terrifying and famous Oliver is about to put an arrow in someone look! - _He should know!_

Cisco glared at Oliver but he was talking to Barry as he asked, ‘What did Caitlin say about the whole magic-high thing?’

‘Well she, um, said a lot of things, look the most important thing is my blood is showing up as normal… but she's not sure how much that means in the case of magic. She wants to monitor me through the suit to be sure, she had me run on the treadmill and there is nothing to show I'm not safe to run’.

 _‘Good’_ Oliver practically growled, but he wasn't looking at him he was looking at Cisco and it wasn't remotely friendly.

Right, he didn't know what was going on _but he was going to break this up right now!_

Caitlin said she needs some blood from you too, she's waiting for you in her lab. -What Caitlin had actually said was: 

“I'm going to call that irresponsible sonofabitch right now and give him a piece of my mind! How _dare_ he put you at risk like that? I want another sample of his blood, _right now! **And I have just the weapon to get it with!** ” _

He'd sped the phone out of her hand and made her promise she would calm down and take Oliver's blood like a professional rather than something out of Kill Bill.

‘She's um… not exactly thrilled with er _events_ Oliver’.

‘She's your doctor Barry. I never thought she would be’.

‘Okay… Well, you might want to tread carefully there Oliver’.

‘Fine’. Oliver was speaking to him but glaring at Cisco. ‘Wait for me to get back Barry. You and I-

-‘Need to have a serious talk. I know, I'm not going anywhere’.

#  ** **************** **

They were on the roof of Oliver’s building. Oliver had trained him all over the city and then made him run him all the way back to Star City in controlled bursts of speed.

Oliver wanted to make sure he was on his game and could protect his city, -and after the colossal fool he'd made of himself last night who could blame him? Thankfully, he seemed to be satisfied that he was back to normal and wasn't scrutinising him in that, _you're going to get shot with an arrow way._

Seriously, _training with Oliver was a straight-up horror show at times._

Unfortunately, all the close proximity had brought up another problem.

He'd realised it as soon as Oliver turned up and they got closer than 10 feet to each other. It was like all the cells in his body were trying to out vibrate each other to get closer to Oliver. If Oliver thought the magic in his system was residual or depleting he was mistaken, he could feel it, and it was _definitely_ getting **stronger**.

He tried to find the least embarrassing way to tell Oliver his body wanted to get closer to the magic cells in him and failed miserably, given the expression on Oliver's, who aside from bursts of highly-trained coordinated violence, generally took stoic to new levels reaction, Oliver's eyebrows had risen incredulously when what came out of his mouth was: ‘Urm Oliver I need to tell you something. The magic in your body is driving me crazy, it's like my body wants, _needs_ to get inside you, -Oh! No-no, not like, I didn't mean like um...’.

‘...Are you saying you can feel the magic in my body and you want to get closer to it?’

‘Yeah, it's like everything in me wants it, um the magic I mean, not like it, like your body or your, um, - _not that I think there's anything wrong with your body or your um_ -I mean, I guess you know that after last night. What I'm saying is the pull is getting stronger, like really, really, stronger, and you should probably get that checked out, because it feels like every cell in my body just wants to get in your, um body, but not you know, I mean not that there's anything wrong with-

_-‘Barry’._

Oliver's eyes slid shut the way they did when he was restraining the urge to clamp his hand down over his mouth to get him to stop rambling.

‘Okay, I'll stop talking about it now, but, you should probably, definitely see a magic doctor, I'm just saying. I'm sure that's a thing somewhere. Cisco can probably find one, I mean he can find anything, and well you have Felicity and she can find anyone, I mean I don't know they could probably team up and-

**_-‘Barry!’_ **

‘Yeah, oh, um I'll-I'll stop talking…’ Oliver had this way of looking right into him, like into his soul or something, and now Oliver had literally been, well, into him most of last night and some of this morning and was looking into his eyes right now, well, _ramble city._ He couldn't help it.

‘We do need to talk Barry. You're just going to have to do some listening as well. It's about what you asked me to do to you last night’.

‘Oh um, _that_. Look it won't happen again. I'm not going to ask you to um,… to um, do that to me again, it just happened and well, it was just one night, we don't have to-

_‘-I'm not talking about the sex Barry!’_

‘Oh… then what? -Oh. That. Look that won't happen again either-

-‘ _Barry_ stop talking and _listen_. I need you to understand that there is nothing you can ever say or do that is going to make me your killer, do you hear me?’

‘Um, Yes’.

‘You were only asking me because you thought of the few people you could trust with something like that, I'm the one who would be the least affected, but you're wrong, you can't ask me that again, not ever. Listen. It can _never_ be me. Do you understand?’

He actually didn't. Yes with hindsight and Cisco yelling at him he now realised it would probably start a Team Flash Team Arrow war, but it wasn't like there was any other reason. Just because Oliver had thrown him the pity bone, didn't mean they were or ever would be a thing so that couldn't be it. He knew Oliver cared about him, but he was pretty sure Oliver could kill anyone, even someone he viewed as a friend if there was no other choice because that was what Oliver did, he made the tough calls when others wouldn't or couldn't. He respected that about him, that was why he'd asked him.

Oliver had his world and he had his. Both were dangerous, but Oliver's world was that much darker. Oliver didn't shy away from something that needed to be done. Ever. So if _he_ was saying no, _never,_ he was going to listen to Oliver, captain of Team Arrow, who the jerks at Argus called Team Adults while insultingly referring to his Group as Team Baby.

He was also going to listen because now that he was good and sobered up and he thought about it, he remembered the split second look of… almost,  _hurt_ he'd seen in Oliver's eyes when he'd said he was the only one who'd be more concerned with stopping than saving him if it came to it.

Oliver was the king of hiding his feelings so he often couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling on the surface, let alone deep down, but they _were_ friends, and he couldn't say he would be thrilled with being asked to do that if the positions were reversed, or being told to his face that he was being asked because it probably wouldn't bother him. -So, no matter what, he wouldn't ever ask that of Oliver again.

‘Barry, I need your word that no matter what happens, you will fight it, and give us, your friends, a chance to help you, not kill you. You wouldn't put any of us down, you would fight to save us, you can't expect any of us to do anything less for you and still call ourselves your friends, you must know that’.

‘Yeah, I know. Cisco read me the riot act earlier when I kinda told him what I did, -I mean what I asked you to do’.

‘I don't often agree with him’.

_-Was Oliver Snarling behind clenched teeth?-_

‘But I do this time’. Oliver's gaze was intense, and he couldn't look away. ‘You're not going to give up. _Your word Barry’._

‘I promise, I will always keep fighting not to ever become like Thawne or Zoom, and I'll let my friends help me more, -and not ask them to kill me, I won't take the cowards way out Oliver I promise’.

‘Good’. Oliver moved closer so they were barely inches apart.

He pulled at the neck of his Flash suit and looked at his neck, tilting his head to one side with his index and forefinger. The skin on skin contact _**sizzled** _ so hard he could barely listen as Oliver murmured, ‘it still isn't healing. I don't _feel_ like the magic is harming you, but if you're still not healing that just can't be good. I don't like it. keep me posted on the results of Caitlin's tests okay?’

He tried desperately to form words and just for _once_ get it right at playing it cool. What came out was: ‘uh huh, yeah sure, alright, I could so that, I mean I will do that, what you just asked me to do... Nooooo problemo’.

- _Damn it! **Why was he like this!**_ He took a deep breath and tried again. ‘I will keep you posted. Um, Oliver, I really am sorry that I asked you to kill me. It was weak. Cowardly, and you have no idea how sorry I am. You're my friend. I don't see you as some kind of executioner I can just point towards a mission and I guess that's how I made it seem. I don't want to dwell on it because it was a serious low point, I just want you to understand how bad… I swear to you Oliver, at the time I really thought it was the best way, the only way. I just, I don't know, I just needed your help, needed you… god, that must sound ridiculous. I'm not trying to sound like the world’s biggest loser even if that's how it's coming out, I'm trying to-

-Oliver surprised him by tipping up his chin and kissing him, but he could barely think about why he'd done that, because his whole body started _tingling_ , lightning zipping up and down him, the magic in Oliver making it impossible for him to back away even if he wanted to, which he wasn't sure he did, because it felt good, _so **good**_ with Oliver kissing him long and hard.

Oliver moved surprisingly fast for someone who didn't have superspeed picking him up and pressing him urgently up against the wall while kissing him until they were both breathless. Before he knew it his hands were around Oliver's neck, his legs around his waist, and he was clinging to him, leaning into him, _rubbing up against him,_ and not just because of the magic thing, -he knew Oliver could do things to him that made him see stars without it, but right now the magic thing was definitely part of it, he could _feel_ the want in his cells, the way his body was straining, _aching_ to be closer to him.

-Wait he knew what Oliver was doing, he was trying to make him feel better and save him from making a rambling fool of himself yet again. It made sense, Cisco was a homemade enchilada and bad movies kind of guy and would be comforting him that way. Oliver was a sexed-up kind of guy so he was just using what he had, just like he did last night. That was what this was.

He wasn't in any doubt that what Oliver had done to him last night was a one time... well, all night and into the next morning thing. But his rambling talk about how bad things had been when he'd asked him to kill him had clearly put Oliver back in a position where he thought he needed to big brother him again. _He didn't want Oliver to think he was weak, or worse, a liability on a mission._ He **_had_** to show him the crisis had passed and he was back to being a- what had Ollie called him last night? Yeah, a comrade and trusted ally. _High praise coming from Oliver._ -And if he wanted him to continue thinking of him that way, like a little brother he could trust with anything including his life, then he had to show him he was still worthy of that trust, that he had his act together. _He couldn't really do that if he was clinging to Oliver while he big brother comforted him with the pity make out!_

No, he had to claw back the dignity by putting some distance between him and Oliver before he made a monumental idiot of himself,  **again** , _-because he might seriously **die** of embarrassment this time._

He pushed Oliver back with his hands on his shoulders and sped away from him. ‘I um, I should get back…. Caitlin might have some news now… and I think HR wants to lecture me about my bad choices. I'm going to have to explain to him, again, that I'm not actually 17 despite what he has in his head. I'm an adult. I make my own decisions… Well I should probably, um’ -Barry pulled his Flash helmet down _and disappeared._


	9. The Magic After the Night Before

Barry moved so fast he appeared to instantaneously vanish and he found himself standing on the roof alone.

He headed into the building and down to the training area he kept secluded and private from the main lair, which Felicity had taken to calling his: _secret but not because we know it's there we're just not allowed in Oliver man-brood cave._ She could call it what she liked just as long as she and everyone else knew not to bother him when he was in here. The room was rigged into all their alert systems and any messages marked code G.A. If he was needed he would know.

He placed his bow on the table and took up his older one. Compound bows did most of the work for you, they made you faster and more accurate but they diminished your pull strength and overall skill level if you didn't regularly practice with the old-fashioned kind.

He set the target system to random so he wouldn't know where the attacks were coming from and objects began to fly at him from all directions.

_Nock, Draw, assess the target, **Loose**._

_Nock, Draw, assess the target, **Loose**._

Learning archery had been a matter of survival, now it was second nature to him but he didn't take his skill for granted. He was always striving for perfection.

He let his thoughts drift to what had happened while taking down target after target, never missing.

 _He hadn't actually meant to kiss Barry,_ but touching him to check on the mark had turned into feeling the electricity zapping across his body and realising he could _still_ smell himself on Barry. The next thing he knew he was kissing him and pressing him up against the wall and he had no doubt what would have happened if Barry hadn't stopped him, _he would have taken him then and there, being on an open roof in their suits be damned_ because apparently the magic in him had no concept of restraint, and he clearly hadn't learned to control it anywhere near as much as he'd thought.

He could still _feel_ the magic tingling in his body. Barry was right. _It **was** getting stronger. _-Wait, the magic, _could it be the reason why…_

He thought back to the moment yesterday when he'd understood the magic wasn't actually hurting Barry. He'd been glad of that but puzzled as to why the magic had made Barry drunk when he wasn't affected.

_Now he thought he knew the answer._

Before he'd had sex with Barry he'd been wishing he could take his pain away. He'd wanted to make him feel better. He'd _hated_ seeing him distraught and crying. He'd been thinking he would do anything, _anything,_ to just see him happy and smiling and even being an idiot again. 

... And at some point, during the many rounds of insanely explosive magically enhanced sex, he recalled thinking Barry's ability to rapidly regenerate meant he would always feel like a virgin no matter how long or hard he was taken. The thought that another man could have Barry and he'd never be able to physically tell _had lit dangerously intense feelings in him,_ and he'd suddenly wanted to mark Barry in ways that wouldn't disappear quickly as if nothing had happened between them. He'd been thinking he wanted his bite mark on Barry's neck and his scent on his skin to last for hours afterwards, _so Barry would be reminded that he'd been thoroughly **claimed**._

...The facts now where Barry suddenly got happy drunk out of nowhere, _still_ smelled like they had just got out of bed together and _still_ wore his bite mark because it inexplicably wouldn't heal, led to one likely conclusion, the magic had translated his wishes, _and it had been **very** literal about it._

This meant _he_ was to blame for Barry's current condition, the magic had been manifesting _his_ wishes. It also meant he was going to have to be a _**lot**_ more careful what he wished for, - _he couldn't just assume the magic only worked on Barry._

He was outside of his skill set, comfort zone, and since Magic powers unchecked caused madness, if he wasn't careful, _he'd soon be out of his mind as well._

It was one thing when the magic only worked defensively to resist and repel magical attacks like when he'd fought Damien Darhk, -but now the magic had turned into a powerful _**active**_ force he didn't know how to control.

But _how_ had it happened and _why_ now?-

-Adjust for target that splits and attacks from two points with a two arrow shot _-Nock, Draw, **Loose**.-_

-Patience or denying his claim on something his instincts told him was his didn't exactly bring out his best side. And he'd been doing both where Barry was concerned for years. Clearly, finally having Barry after denying himself for so long had turned his self-control into a myth. He'd experienced _**want**_ like never before and he hadn't wanted to let him go.

Barry had said his eyes started glowing and he was saying weird stuff about wanting to keep him when they were having sex.

He remembered _thinking_ that, _feeling_ it, while saying words against Barry's lips in a language he didn't understand or even know of...

Had he somehow _awakened_ , or _invoked_ , the residual magic within him and empowered it by speaking some incantation he didn't even know he knew?

He couldn't think how else it could have happened, which meant he'd now inadvertently powered himself up with ancient magic he could apparently activate with a _**thought**._

_It would be a dangerous power to have even for someone who wasn't a killer._

-And he clearly didn't have even the basic level of control over this magic he'd initially thought, let alone the absolute mastery he was going to need to get rid of it safely.

His experiences with Barron Reiter and Damien Darhk had taught him in the most brutal ways with the deaths of Taiana and Laurel that magic was extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.

He also knew trying to get rid of it recklessly was just as dangerous. _Taiana's death had taught him that._

Like Laurel, Taiana had been one of the kindest people he'd ever met, she'd even found it in her heart to forgive him when she learned her beloved brother had died at his hands.

_If only they'd understood more about the dangers of magic when they fought Reiter, maybe she'd still be alive._

They'd thought they were saving the people Reiter had abducted and forced to work on the island, but what they were really doing was presenting the dark magic with an unwitting host who unlike Reiter and him, didn't have the magical runes on her skin to help her control it.

When Taiana tried to stop Reiter sacrificing innocent lives to fuel his power, she'd been possessed and taken over by dark magic. She'd fought it with everything she had but it was too strong, and just like Roy, just like Barry, she had _begged_ him to kill her. To save her from becoming a monster like Reiter had become. To stop her from hurting the innocent people left on the island.

_Even possessed by pure evil she'd still cared more about saving others than herself._

He still remembered holding his sobbing friend in his arms knowing what she needed him to do to help her, wishing there was another way, and hoping and praying that it was the right thing to do to save her, even as his entire being was rebelling at the idea of harming her when he'd fought so long and hard to keep her safe.

She was suppressing the Dark Magic with everything she had but her exhausted body was running out of fight. If he didn't help her now...

He remembered the hell of holding her closer against him and using his strength to wrench her neck sideways, ripping the life from her. He'd had no way to make it painless as she deserved, all he could do was make it quick. -And in the exact moment her lifeless body collapsed in his arms, he'd felt something _die_ in him, - _as if what he'd done had lost him a part of his soul forever._ …

**_Magic had cost him that._**

Up until that point he'd never killed a woman or an innocent or someone he cared about. In that one single moment when he'd taken Taiana's life, he'd done all 3 at the cost of his soul and his humanity.

_**Magic had brought him to that.**_

**_It was nothing to be taken lightly._ **

If it hadn't been the only way to stop Dhark from killing him before he could get a shot off he would have never even entertained the _idea_ of using magic, but there had been little choice at the time.

He'd been wrong to think the power in him was just residual passive shield magic burning its way out of his system and affecting Barry strangely because of his speedster physiology. He had to accept now that far from leaving, the magic was taking root in him, and now he had to deal with it. _He couldn't risk taking any more chances._

It wasn't like he could trust the magic would always grant him what seemed like relatively harmless wishes, like getting Barry drunk, or sex marking him, or now he thought about it, letting him match Barry's speedster recovery time in bed... He didn't even remember _thinking_ that he wanted that… _but he'd **wanted** Barry, _ and being able to keep up with him was the only way to keep _having_ him,and then suddenly he'd not only been able to keep up with Barry, he'd been able to relentlessly dominate him without a break until Barry was begging him to stop.

-But that meant - _he didn't even have to **consciously** wish for something to make it happen_.

… _This was **not** good._

What he'd wanted this time might have been relatively harmless, but what if in future his subconscious wanted or needed something far less harmless and the magic made that happen too?

So far, he could apparently control moods, interfere with metahuman powers, and give himself superhuman endurance, _all without even trying, **what else could he do?**_

What if he thought his team needed to be a bit more agreeable, to question his orders and decisions less? It was a normal thought any team leader might have on any given day, but if that team leader had the power to make it happen without even realising it…

What if to save people he started using magic against metahumans and criminals, would it soon evolve to using magic against anyone deemed a threat?

If he wasn't careful what would be the difference between his setup and HIVE? - _Where would the line between him and Damien even be drawn?_

Even if the power hadn't done anything overtly dark _yet,_ that could change, -especially since it was in someone like him and it was growing stronger.

**He was going to have to get help.**

_He wasn't safe around Barry or anyone else until he did._

As far as he knew the magic doctor Barry suggested, wasn't actually a thing, but there were people he could ask for help. -The mystic who had taught him how to use magic for one.

... Although, there was a strong possibility she wouldn't _want_ to help. She'd never wanted to train him in the first place. She'd said there was too much darkness and violence in him, meaning he was the last kind of person who should have mystical powers.

She'd made it clear she didn't want to be responsible for teaching him how to wield almost unlimited power if there was the chance she would be unleashing a potential monster on the world.

The only reason she eventually reluctantly agreed to help was her somewhat mysterious connection to Constantine and the obvious Sapphic shine she'd taken to Felicity.

Bottom line, he couldn't really hope to get the best help out of someone who'd wanted nothing to do with training him in the first place.

That meant his best and only other option was Constantine.

Yes, things were... _complicated_ between them, but at least with Constantine, he had some pre-established trust.

He'd saved Constantine's life.

-And the runes Constantine had magically branded into his skin all those years ago back on the Island-

-Had saved his life more than once.

-So if Constantine was occasionally brooding, often difficult to read, and had a terrible track record with relationships, -he was aware that people often said the same thing about him, so he could hardly complain or judge.

At least Constantine didn't act like the violent life he led and lives he'd taken made him damaged goods, or a potential monster to be wary off.

He shut off the training system, laid down his bow, unstrapped his quiver, and gathered materials, sitting at his workstation, the methodical process of fine-shaping and sharpening his custom arrowheads soothing as he thought of the last time he'd been with Constantine...


	10. The Demon King

Constantine had shown up out of the blue and when asked for his help on a mission. He'd agreed because the way he saw it he still owed him for bringing Sara's soul back from the other side.

The next thing he knew he was in the thick of a battle shooting at _things_ attacking them, his quiver blessed so they wouldn't run out while Constantine tried to perform an exorcism on a horde of possessed humans even though everyone else in Constantine’s circle had tried and failed, most at the cost of their lives.

Things went from dangerous to insane in an instant when an actual _**Angel**_ turned up during the melee, wings and all frozen the battle, _and read Constantine the riot act._

...

How was this even happening? One moment he and Constantine were fighting for their lives and the next he was trapped, frozen mid shot while the _Angel_ bellowed, ‘I tire of listing your sins Constantine! Just these past months you have consorted with a demoness, procured a spell for a warlock on heaven's watch list to settle a drinking debt, committed profane acts with an excommunicated priest, and performed and lost control of an unsanctioned exorcism with said former priest that resulted in multiple humans losing their lives!  
‘And do not think I have forgotten **that!’** The Angel spat furiously as he tried to mentally process that an irate Angel was pointing directly at him while keeping him frozen in mid-air, unable to even tremble in horror of flinch in terror. ‘You aided this man's sacrilegious quest to free a woman's soul whose mortal sins had long since condemned her to hell, and you slew a guardian rightfully keeping her soul until her body returned to death to do it. Now I am warning you, Constantine, I have had just about enough of having to watch over a stubborn, mouthy, scouse _git_ who can't seem to keep his alcoholic, nicotine-addicted ass out of trouble! If you give me any more problems the next time you call-

-‘You'll what?’Constantine yelled, naturally making an already terrifying situation worse by mouthing off, ‘Not show up as bloody usual, how will I ever know the difference? -As for calling me a git, ah I do believe my lingo is rubbing off on you mate, which is good, makes you sound less old-timey, you know, less like you have the Old Testament crammed up your ass, I mean how it even fits with how uptight you are, now that my friend is _truly_ a miracle’.

The Angel, already terrifying, had looked murderous. ‘You have been warned Constantine’

Its voice was low and ominous as it spread its impressive wings, ‘do not say afterwards that you were not’. The Angel disappeared, unfreezing everything, leaving them in the middle of a life or death battle.

‘Always giving me bloody gyp and not bloody helping me that one!’ Constantine had raged, ‘go on then _piss off!_ Just leave us smack dab in the middle of a bloody fight to the death, don't strain yourself lifting a finger to help! -Alright then’ he'd yelled turning his attention back to the 10-foot demon emerging out of broken bodies of the human minions it had been possessing, ‘Sorry about that pointless interruption you have my full attention, so, come on then, don't be shy, _let's be having yer, you daft bint!’_

The demon's blood red eyes narrowed as it surveyed Constantine like he was an ant.

‘Oliver keep those arrows coming! -Don't look at him demon, look over here at the one who's about to give you a swift well-deserved kick in the bollocks’.

‘Do you seriously wish to tangle with me again John Constantine’ The demon had asked, it's voice a thousand times worse than nails down a chalkboard as he gritted his teeth and fought to keep shooting blessed arrows at the creatures appearing and disappearing in the room.

‘I owe you nothing less than an evisceration after our last encounter. You _betrayed_ me mortal. _You_ invited _me_ to come inside your body, I did not possess you by force, such is beneath me, and lower beings such as yourself are thrilled to have me within them stretching their fragile bodies with my power as they struggle to take me inside themselves, and just like them, you opened yourself up to me so I could sink inside your willing body until I was deep inside you, and did I not make you feel good? Did I not expend my essence within you, lavishing your insides with my glory? Did I not saturate you until you were bursting forth with my powerful essence, did I not fill you and make you whole? -And what did I receive for my condescension? _You had your catholic **whore** cast me out!’_

‘Hey, no slut-shaming my friends! Especially when that friend is now a nun. -And just so we're clear, I don't like the way you're making my summoning you to save _my life_ sound like I was inviting you for a shag, **so stop it!** _I'm the one who does the innuendo around here mate’._

‘I am going to enjoy killing you Constantine, even though you are beneath my notice without a part of my essence within you’.

‘Bloody kings, I tell you, heads so far up their own backsides they believe their own press. Well your majesty, if you think you're leaving this room to do what you like, you can think on, because the only place you're going is back to hell’.

The demon looked as unfazed as a 10-foot gryphon-man with foot long razor sharp looking claws would.

 _And that was its mistake he realised!_ it was underestimating both Constantine's determination to avenge his dead friends and his skill. The fact was Constantine might like to boast but he had good reason. _He was every bit as good as he said,_ and he'd was nothing short of _spectacular_ right now as he stood before the Demon King, his eyes and hands glowing bright gold with magic.

It gave him an idea and he quickly used his tensile arrows to create a corded cage around them. Constantine caught on immediately, chanting an incantation that sounded like the one he'd used to bless his arrows so they could destroy the creatures attacking them on impact. Now they were effectively behind a magical shield, giving Constantine a chance to build a magical attack. The Demon King, evidently believing his talk of Constantine being beneath his notice seemed content to let his creatures tear into Constantine before he moved in for the kill. Another mistake, he thought as the creatures they'd been battling threw themselves against the cords, howling in pain as they were burned away, and he took the split seconds of their confusion to take down as many as he could, his blessed arrows ripping through and disintegrating them as more and more screaming creatures appeared and flung themselves against the cage, mindless in their attempts to kill him and Constantine.

‘Shut your eyes mate!’ Constantine yelled at him, bright light exploding and painfully searing his eyes as he slammed them shut in defence, barely managing to get the kill shot on a creature rapidly sawing its disintegrating form in half to get through the blessed steel-cord cage.

He heard the sounds of screams and roars combined with the horrible sounds of people sobbing and crying in anguish. He felt heat on his face and the ground shifting beneath him as Constantine bellowed ‘Hang on to your Calvin Kleins mate, here we go!’

The ground beneath their feet lurched forward and he heard a loud cracking, felt movement to his left and shot an arrow off without looking, knowing he hit his target by the loud sound of the creature screaming.

‘Now you're just showing off mate! My turn. On 3 look directly above your head and shoot anything that moves okay? 1 - _sod it do it now!_ ’

He looked up and tried to concentrate, he couldn't freak out over the _different plain of existence_ or whatever it was, spilling out right above their heads with multiple kinds of creatures he'd never seen before walking around, their footprints making ripples as if the surface they were on, or the portal he was looking at them through was made of water.

‘It'll be alright as long as none of them looks down, gets curious, and decides to pay us a visit. If they do _shoot the blighters._ Trust me we _**do not**_ want their sort running around here! -What with humans being a light snack to them and all’.

Constantine was suddenly lost in chanting, and the Demon King, who was now apparently taking notice of Constantine tried to lunge at him, but his body was yanked back, translucent glowing shackles and chains appearing, tethering him to the spot, even as he was cursing and threatening terrible revenge.

One of the creatures above their heads paused mid-step and looked down. He tightened his draw pressure and watched it watching him, its eyes glowing red, curiosity giving way to obvious hunger. It knelt down and slowly pushed its face through the water, A child's face emerging, a young girl with curls, innocent and doll-like. _-But he'd seen its true face,_ he knew what it was using was some kind of glamour to distract him from attacking. The face shifted, his mother, Laurel. _He shot_ striking the creature in its glowing eye. It shrieked and shifted to black liquid pouring like thick sludge oil through water into the room.

He shot again and again as the creature screamed and crawled back up into the water. -But others were watching now their red eyes glowing hungrily. _There were too many!_ ‘Constantine!’ He yelled shooting arrow after arrow.

Constantine was suddenly glowing all over with brilliant flame, his voice low and steady. ‘Time to close those eyes again mate... But not just yet, I want a witness in case some prat tries to say, _pull the other one_ when I'm bragging about this later’. Constantine raised his hands upwards arcs of pure flame and golden light streaking out from his open palms into the dimension above their heads. There were screams of terror as the flame and light wrapped themselves around creature after creature, drawing them through the water and hurling them at the Demon King.

They splashed up against his skin like thick liquid, their red eyes glowing, their mouths devouring even as their bodies became a thick boiling sludge coating his skin.

‘Constantine don't you _**dare**_ do this’ the Demon King bellowed. ‘I swear on all 16 gods the Demon Monarchies of my race hold Dear _I will make you suffer for this as no mortal man has ever suffered’._

‘I've been suffering my whole life me, and these days I'm almost fresh out of mates so I don't know what you think you can torture me with. A bad hair day? -Or turning all my future wine into water? Well my hair is always great and I'm more of a Scotch man myself’.

‘Do not think to hide behind churlish jest. I have been deep inside you-

 _-‘Hey!_ What did I say about that kind of talk?!’

‘I have been inside every part of your being, your body, your mind, your very soul, and I know your fears John Constantine’.

‘Then you should know you're not one of them you dozy great bastard. Now shut up will yer. I have to concentrate for this next bit’.

Constantine chanted something and the dimension above their heads dried up like water evaporating quickly like a film that had been sped up. Off kilter and unsettling.

He realised that in never taking his eyes off the dimension above he hadn't noticed the massive crack in the floor just in front of them, the flame erupting from it, the sounds of anguish and suffering rising up from it. He turned to Constantine,

‘Is that!-

-‘Yep. A highway to hell mate’. - _About them eyes’ Constantine yelled, **NOW!** ’_ .

He slammed his eyes shut, pain stabbing through his eyelids as bright light exploded. The light faded and he opened his eyes to see the Demon King was **burning**. Constantine had set the creature-sludge all over him aflame, and was controlling the flames on the Demon King's body, gathering them up into his flaming fists and hurling them down towards the abyss as the King lurched forward, his massive body starting to separate as the flames ate him and the creatures burning within the flame fed off him hungrily despite being ablaze.

 _‘How'd you like that then, yer greasy stuck up wanker!’_ Constantine yelled as the Demon King fell screaming into the roaring hell abyss, and the creatures attacking the magical cage screamed in anguish, hurtling themselves at the magical barrier with renewed ferocity. Constantine shoved him back with magic and broke the barrier, stepping aside and inviting the creatures in before he could stop him. _They rushed Constantine as one_ and he shot as many as he could, creature after creature, screaming and disintegrating, but it was no use there were too many of them! -Pouring through the air like a single being.

‘Constantine move!’ He yelled firing shot after shot as Constantine stood his ground looking completely unfazed. The creatures were almost upon him! -He was out of tensile arrows he could use to get to or move him in time, he was out of options and reached back for an explosive arrow. It was dangerous to both of them at this range but maybe it could buy Constantine some time, -or since he seemed to have finally lost his mind, give him time to get over there and get Constantine out of the way. He drew and aimed at the creatures just as the seething mass hurled themselves into the pit after their master.

He released his grip on his bow sighing in relief as Constantine yelled, ‘Yeah, jog on the lot of ya sodding lemmings, _**and don't bloody well come back!** ’ _


	11. Constatine

‘Constantine’. He huffed out breathlessly, Adrenaline running riot through his system. ‘I don't even know where to start with what just happened. I mean I can take a lot, but 10-foot Demon Kings, portals to other worlds opening up in the ceiling, portals to hell opening up in the floor, and furious _Angels -_ partly furious over something _I’m_ responsible for. _-Just how much trouble are you in for helping me with Sara?_ -What can I do to help?’

‘Don't worry about it mate’. Unbelievably Constantine actually looked _bored._ ‘That Angel is just a frenemy of mine who likes to call himself Manny. He also likes to say he's been sent to watch over me. Problem is, as you saw earlier when he chose to sod off and leave us with a bunch of bloodthirsty monsters bent on killing us to death-, watching and lecturing is about all he ever bloody does! _He gets right on my tits that one!’_

Constantine drew magic into his hands and they impressively burst into flames without singeing, let alone burning him, his eyes glowing as he shouted a tongue-twisting sounding incantation and the hell abyss in the floor closed with a series of loud cracking and groaning sounds.

‘Flaming Elvish purification spells! Try saying one of them three times fast I dare you! -Hey, chuck as that posh looking knife over there mate’.

He handed Constantine the knife, which seemed to be made of solid gold, with intricate jade etchings in a language he couldn't decipher carved into the handle. It looked like it was worth a fortune and belonged in a museum.

‘Ta. Shame it's got to be destroyed, as ornamental weapons go this is a nice looking bit of kit, but some bleedin twat tainted it with sacrificial magic, they always choose the flash ones, but then it would probably let down the ritual if it was just a bog-standard kitchen knife now wouldn't it. I mean who wants to do a sacrifice with that! Oh well’.

Constantine threw it up in the air and chanted a spell. The dagger disintegrated in mid-air, dripping down as liquid molten gold and shimmering jade. But when it hit the ground, it changed into a thick shiny-looking silver substance.

 ** _‘Is that bloody mercury!’_** Constantine exclaimed ‘stand back you do not want to get that on you mate. Gold and priceless Jade my arse! That's a poisonous compound mixed with bog standard green glass. Well slap me sideways! _A bloody alchemist has been messing about here,_ and I know who. Flaming Nora! If Manny finds out I got well and truly bladdered and traded a spell I thought was useless, well harmless at any rate, to settle a _small_ gambling debt _I'll never hear the bleedin end of it! **Which is the last thing I**_ ** _flaming need!_** _-_ Never mind getting dragged into the stupid Wizard vs Alchemist vs heaven nonsense going on for millennia. No thanks, Mages and Sorcerers have the good sense to stay well out of that!’

-‘You know what sod this, how was I supposed to know he was an Alchemist? You've more chance of running into a sodding unicorn then one of them. I mean he just looked like some stupid hipster millennial Wiccan, banging on about needing a spell to clean the bad elements out of the soil in his herb garden. Herbs I thought, _pull the other one,_ but I figured hey, where's the harm, -help the kid out with his little gardening project for a very reasonable fee, use some of the money to get my loan-sharking bookie off my back, and get a nice magic-grown spliff or two out of it to boot. Best weed out there after all, _but what do I get?_ Swindled, that's what! By some crafty sod pretending to be a kid when he's got to be pushing 8 thousand if he's a day because there haven't been any new Alchemists since god cursed them round about the Garden of Eden time, -Oh **_bollocks_** _,_ now I've magically undone alchemy linked to him! I bet that money he paid me that I gave to my psychotic evil bookie is probably turning into rotten lettuce or newspapers as we speak. - _There's a reason people hate frigging Alchemists!_ ’

‘My Bookie is going to kill me with her bare hands this time, although, frankly I'd prefer it to what she did to me with her bare hands last time because there is no way I'm shagging her to get out of a debt again! _I barely survived!_ Demoness hybrids, _ugh._ They can make themselves look right tasty, but they can't change the slimy way their skin feels or the way they smell when their glamour clashes with Mage magic... not to mention their bloody violent. _She nearly tore it off after treating it like a pogo stick for hours_... I'm telling you _never again!_ Trust me saying no or even running didn't help. I thought it was over at least because I never intended to owe her money again - _and now look!’_

-‘You know what _sod it_ , I'm not getting in the middle of this! I already sent the Demon King packing, _and the cantankerous git can just take his bleedin knife with him!_ You and me are the only ones what's seen it _and we're not telling!’_

Constantine looked around, quickly stretched out his hand and chanted a spell, a small glowing red crack appeared in the floor, shrieks and moans of despair emanating from it as Constantine chanted and the mercury and glass were sucked into it, the crack disappearing as if it had never been there.  
-‘And when I find that bastard Alchemist he's going in an all! Well, after I've turned him over to my bookie so she can have her way with him of course. She'll want a right go on someone as payment for cheating her _and better him than me._ Hiding behind a pretty face won't help him then! -And it will serve the git right!’ -Now if anybody asks, and this is important mate, you didn't see nothing like an Alchemist-formed sacrificial dagger sucked into a hell portal, _that never happened ok?_ On the reverse side, you did see me use masterful ingenuity to shove a Demon king into a hell portal. _Feel free to let anyone know about that whether they ask or not!_ It can only enhance my already Stellar reputation as a Master of the Dark Arts!’ _  
_

‘So, what you're saying to me’, he remarked dryly, ‘is Demon King defeat, yes. Alchemist cover-up, no’.

‘You know that's what I like about you Ollie mate, you're not just easy on the eyes, you're quick off the Mark as well!’

He looked skyward in exasperation, following Constantine around in an uncharacteristic loss of knowing what to do with himself. Constantine was marking symbols onto seemingly random places of the house, -a door frame here, a windowsill there, it seemed totally random, but he doubted it actually was. Constantine knew his craft.

‘Well, don't you look 6"3 unfairly handsome, and lost without something to shoot at. I'm sure you'll feel better if you make yourself useful, so grab that salt and sprinkle those minions or what's left of them with it. Can't have them coming back. Not that there's anything to bring back, but that probably won't stop some daft bastard from trying. Best not make it easy for them eh’.

Glad of something, anything to do he sprinkled the twisted broken corpses of what once upon a time might have been people. It was a horrible end but he couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for them, they were reverent worshipers of the Demon King and had chosen this of their own free will. If they were victims of anything it was extreme stupidity, not forced demonic possession.

When he finished, he found Constantine outside burning an intricate looking symbol into the long grass at the front of the house, his outstretched fist engulfed in impressive looking multi-coloured flames.

‘Come over here mate. Best stand back’. The entire building went up in a roaring inferno of vivid otherworldly flames burning purple and red, blue and jade and pure brilliant shimmering gold as Constantine murmured a complicated sounding incantation. Suddenly the flames vanished from his fist as the house vanished in the flames and the flames into the night.

‘Come on mate’ Constantine grinned at him, ‘you look as if you've seen a ghost’. 

‘I've seen weirder things than a ghost tonight’.

‘Right you are my friend. Tell you what, there's a pub where I'm owed a favour not too far from here. What's say you and me go have a drink or 12 to celebrate actually surviving this whole thing?’

He couldn't argue with a drink, or 12. He wasn't one for getting drunk, but after the things he'd seen and been a part of tonight...

They walked in the quiet, cool night in companionable silence for a while until Constantine placed his hand on his shoulder. The next thing he knew they were entering an old-fashioned looking pub he'd walked right past without seeing. ‘Magic Glamour’ Constantine explained, ‘can't see it unless you have an invite or someone with an invite leads you inside. -

-Now there's only one rule’ Constantine declared, ‘You're _never_ to see the bottom of your glass. ‘In my hometown of Liverpool, it would be considered horrible bad luck to see a celebratory glass empty after such a great victory!’

He was dubious to the truth of that claim but figured his team had everything under control in Star City, and he could afford to take one night off to at least _try_ and process what had just happened. _Even if it meant getting plastered to do it._

* * *

‘You wanna hear something bonkers mate?’ Constantine asked. They were sat on wooden stools with plush red velvet cushions in front of the pub's old-fashioned oak bar while around them all kinds of ... **magical beings** were, _‘‘milling about minding their own beeswax as well they should, and best ignored’’_ according to Constantine.  
The barman, who been introduced with -‘‘Bar keep, meet Ollie. Ollie, meet Bar Keep’’ poured them yet another drink, the glittering crystal glasses sliding across the glossy polished dark wood without being touched and coming to a halt in front of their hands once again. The glasses, like everything else in the pub were clearly magical, and he picked up his drink wondering for the countless time tonight just how his life had become so strange.

‘I'll take your stoic silence as a yes, you do want to hear something bonkers’ Constantine grinned, ‘well here goes. Manny once told me something about having a trumpet back in the day’.

‘And I once met this version of myself from another reality, -hellscape journey, like astral projection but a lot more terrifying. -Anyway, long story, but it turns out not only am I just as handsome with jet black hair. But that version of me was _also_ getting a routine bollocking-

-by an angel named, wait for it, Gabriel. -Coincidence? _-I bloody doubt it!_ so all things considered I'm pretty sure that's who Manny really is, _the actual chuffing Angel Gabriel,_ bleedin trumpet an all. -Oh mate, _you don't half look confused._ Look. Really, _don't worry about Manny._ He's harmless. Well not really, and I confess, I've no clue about what he's playing at with me, much less why, but I can tell you two, well three things’.

‘One. Angels are nothing like the religious books and Disney channel would have you believe, they're not kind, or friendly, or here to help people. Trust me, when it comes to Angel's you're better off out of it mate’.

‘Two Manny is often annoyed with what he sees as my repeatedly taking the piss. -To be fair I did once trap him in a human body, grounding him but-

 _-‘You **grounded** an Angel? _ Your magic is _that_ powerful?’

‘Oh mate, what do you think I've been trying to tell you?’, Constantine grinned suggestively. ‘ _I can do all sorts me. -_ As for what I did to Manny, he's unfortunately chosen to take it personally and is still flaming bloody mad about it. I tell you _they can really hold a grudge that lot!_ Apparently, they can't stand being trapped in a body, it cuts them off from their power, I didn't know that at the time, but then if he wasn't always being such a cagey, shifty, so-and-so I might have! I was just trying to get him to break all the so-called rules to cure a friend of mine from a brain tumour, and to stay put in one body and actually help me for five bloody minutes for a change. _I don't think that was too much to ask!’_

-‘Anyway, I'm saying he's not going to kill me because his kind are not supposed to interfere with humans directly much less kill them, _Although interfering in my life is all he bloody does,_ and anytime I actually need help he starts spouting rubbish about how he can't do anything to affect my fate. _I swear he's making up these rules to suit him as he goes along._ -Anyway, his _still_ being upset with me is the real reason he came charging in to have a go at me about my so-called blasphemous antics. There's just one problem, I don't actually work for that prat do I, _so he can flutter off!’._

-‘Which goes to the third thing I have to tell you. Yes, I grounded Manny, but in my defence, he was giving me gyp and-

-‘What does that even mean, giving you gyp?’

 _‘In this case, it means he was asking for it,_ -and that you've got to have _some_ fun with your work. But for the proper English impaired like yourself mate, gyp means being bothered or cursed by gypsies and generally means something or someone getting right on your tits, like Manny was doing with me, so like I said, _asking for it_ ’.

‘Look I know he's all wrath and smity looking, what with the cheekbones, and the wings, and the eyes, but he won't smite me so easily, he'd see it as a personal failure … Although having said that, when I was releasing him from the binding spell, it might have become apparent I was lying and could have reversed the spell anytime I wanted. I saw it in his eyes then, -there was definitely this moment when he thought, _sod heaven's rules,_ **_I'm having him!’_ **

‘Lucky for me there were more pressing matters, like stopping the insane doctor-veteran we were fighting who just so happened to be possessed by the power of a wizard so evil god himself did him in, from causing any more havoc by having Manny use his divine power to cart the poor sod off to heaven’.

-‘Long story short, don't worry about Manny being miffed with me mate. I'm in no more trouble for helping out your mate Sara then I always am with him’.

‘I tell you, it's a strange life’, Constantine sighed, draining his glass and sliding it across for a refill. ‘The other me I met told me he got in a bad way and topped himself as a teenager, and too bad for him he was resuscitated by pesky paramedics with a mortal sin of suicide on his soul. Fast forward and like me, he's fighting the good fight and like me, he has an Angel he talks to regularly who's mostly a pain in his ass. Here’s the kicker, it all ends up with Satan himself literally putting his hands inside his chest and ripping cancer out of his lungs to save him from heaven of all things’.

-‘Strange to think he got it and I haven't even though we've both been smoking around 2 packs a day since we were lads’.

-‘Anyway, so he slits his wrists because Satan told him he would come up to get his ass personally when his time came’.

‘So, Satan's literally dragging him to hell for dramatic effect and, heaven finally figures it actually owes him for stopping the literal antichrist in the next room from walking its way out of an innocent woman who happened to be a friend of his. -But Satan is not having a bar of him going to heaven because he wants his arse in hell, so he can stick a nice red-hot poker up it. -No surprise, bit of a sadist that Satan-. Anyway, heaven does stop Satan bagging him, but the way other me tells it they weren't invested, otherwise they would have taken his soul to heaven rather than letting the devil cure him, so he could, inevitably in our line of work, rack up another mortal sin and end up facing hell again. Which, he says is what they want because the sanctimonious tossers don't want him in their little heaven club any more than Satan does’.

‘I mean any way you look at it the one thing both sides actually agree on, in completely different earths, with completely different versions of me, is neither side wants us in heaven, I mean, Manny's wrath-filled lectures are the heavenly equivalent of a slap on the wrist for a hardcore repeat offender. It means nothing, other than that I get to keep racking up as many sins as possible and end up in hell been bloody tortured for the rest of my existence. Like I said mate, _it's a strange life’._

He knew what living a strange life was like and could relate, although Constantine's life was a **_lot_** stranger than his. No matter, because any friend willing to risk the wrath of actual Angels just to help him fix his friend's mistake was worth keeping around. Although he suspected the real reason he kept up his friendship with Constantine was simply that he liked him. In some ways being with Constantine reminded him of being with Tommy.

The barman went to pour him another drink when Constantine slid both their glasses across and he clumsily snatched his glass back turning it upside down, telling the barman with actions if not words, which were becoming something of a difficulty, that he was cutting himself off. He had no idea how long they had been sat drinking the apparently bottomless bottle of aged single-malt scotch, _just that he felt it had been at least a **year.**_

‘Ah, mate, don't feel bad’, Constantine grinned at him. ‘Many a poor sod will tell ya, it's a fool's errand to try to drink a Scouser under the table. Ah but you did well mate, give us yer glass. _Bar Keep!_ Put soda and ice in my good man's scotch this time, that'll make it fairer on him!’

‘No’ he managed to object, impressed that he could even form the word or talk at all as he insisted, ‘don't water it down’. _-He wasn't about to have Constantine thinking he was a flyweight when he'd out-drank hardened Russians in the Bratva without getting hammered-,_ ‘give it to me neat’.

‘That's the spirit!’ Constantine grinned, -‘ _You heard him Barkeep, **pour him another real man's drink!** ’_

The barman, he'd learned, was _grudgingly_ pouring them free drinks to repay Constantine for apparently ridding his pub of a group of Sirens tempting his customers the previous week. To hear Constantine tell it, the Sirens had been _very_ good for business, _up until the drained bodies of men had started piling up that was._  


Their umpteenth glasses of neat Scotch magically slid across to their hands and Constantine snatched his up, nodding to the barman before turning to him and raising his glass in toast. ‘To you Ollie mate’ he grinned, downing his drink in one go and slamming it down for a refill so he wouldn't see the empty bottom of the glass - _all before he'd even finished raising his own glass in response!_ He didn't even _try_ downing his own drink, he just took a little, _because he was pretty sure he was starting to lose sensation in his legs._ Apparently, he could handle his Vodka a lot better than he could handle his Scotch.

‘Aww, there's no shame in nursing it mate’, Constantine grinned stretching and putting his arm around his shoulder. ‘I'm just glad you're still with me, not a lot of people can hold their liquor like you Oliver Queen. Have to say I like that in a man’. He moved closer, ‘you know, we have a connection you and me Oliver. I knew it back when we first met. Us meeting was fate, destiny, preordained, whatever you want to call it. Point is it was meant to happen, we were supposed to meet, and we were supposed to save each other's lives. -Don't you think that means the universe itself wants us to get closer mate, you know, _without our clothes on?’_

_-And there it was. The complicated part of their relationship, - **Constantine was forever hitting on him.**_


	12. The Price Of Good Scotch

‘Constantine, we've talked about this. The answer is and always will be no. Now take your arm off me and quit trying the arm-stretch date routine’

‘Oh come on, it was working, admit it’.

_‘No it wasn't’._

‘We were finally about to kiss there Ollie mate, _I could feel it’._

‘I'm surprised you can feel anything. I think I've gone completely numb, and I think my legs have gone to sleep’.

‘...Hmm, there's a possibility I'm feeling the same way myself... ah bullocks.

-They're gone’.

‘What?’

‘My legs mate, gone. I'm embarrassed, I _swear_ this has never happened to me before’.

Constantine, who always seemed completely immune to embarrassment, looked so sheepish it made him do something that up until that point he was pretty sure he was physically _incapable_ of doing, -he started **giggling**. _Barry would have been proud._

‘It's nothing to laugh about’ Constantine sulked. ‘The drink must have been magically enhanced. You know, as in you say you want to get bladdered and end up pissing yourself, or legless and your legs fall asleep, or blind drunk, or rat faced and, well you get the idea. It gets you super drunk with super side effects.  
This is bloody terrible! This stuff takes donkey's years to wear off. _No wonder he just kept on pouring._ If you owe a favour and know the right spell the drink just keeps on replicating until the favour is paid! _Bloody cheapskate,_ the least he could have done is pour us the good stuff, the real non-magical stuff. -Ah well, free booze is free booze I suppose, and since I've not pissed meself and I can still see, and I don't currently have a rat for a face, it's all good as you American types say. _Right, Barkeep!_ I've decided to let you off and not get back at yer like you deserve by, I don't know, inviting a group of ghouls here to scare off what's left of your punters. So if yer know what's good for yer, _you'll pour us another drink right quick._ I can practically see the bottom of this glass, it's bad luck! Get more Scotch in there, _**fast!** ’_

‘Not bloody likely’ the Barman refused, ‘you said you can't feel your legs meaning the debts paid. If you want more drink _you can bloody well pay for it!_ ’

‘ _You cheeky blighter!’_ Constantine snarled, ‘I don't give a monkeys who you think you are! The former great one himself reduced to cheap tricks, running a lousy sanctuary where half your punters got eaten by Sirens just last week and serving fake booze on top. You won't have a customer left when I spread the word _-oh would you look at **that** tasty bit of alright’. _ Constantine was instantly distracted by the beautiful barmaid leaning forward collecting Crystal glasses, which was giving Constantine a good view of her cleavage, her tightly corsetted deep green velvet dress a dramatic backdrop to her striking orange-red hair and alabaster skin. -‘You know Ollie mate, I bet she's been eyeing me up all night, and now she's just showing off her ample wares to me,  _I think I'm in there!_ Quick she's coming this way, try to look less... handsome. I don't want you upstaging me. Alright, here I go’.

Constantine tried to straighten up and leer at the barmaid as she walked by, but when he opened his mouth to no doubt deliver some cringe-worthy pickup line, what came out in a forlorn tone was, ‘please help us love, I can't feel me legs’.

That made him laugh ~~giggle~~ even harder, and the barmaid glared at Constantine snapping in an aggrieved - _what did your last slave die of-_ tone, ‘what's wrong with your brawny boyfriend here? Why can't he help you?’

He'd stopped ~~giggling~~  laughing abruptly at that and  Constantine started _howling_ with laughter so hard he was clinging to the the bar just to stay sitting, tears streaming down his face as the barmaid gave them both a look of exasperation and left muttering about lousy drunks who didn't know when to call it a night.

 _‘Oh Ollie mate’_ Constantine wailed with mirth, _‘you should have seen your face when she thought you were me bird, -_ ** _god I wish I had a camera!_** _’_

 _Bird?_ Was that British talk for _chick?! ‘Are you calling me your chick **you son of a b-**_

-‘Oi-Oi, this is a _family_ - _friendly_ , hidden invitation-only sanctuary for all sorts of unsavoury magical types. We can't very well have you sullying the place with your crass American talk now can we! -And for the record _I'm_ not calling you me bird, I'm saying, _she_ was calling-

-He shoved Constantine mid-sentence and he went down like a sack of potatoes sprawling on his back, _still crying with laughter._

‘Now look ere Constantine’ the Barman growled, turning his attention from the 7 foot razor thin lizard man slouching out of view after a huddled conversation with the barman. -Where the bleedin heck has he got too? ...  Oh. Down there. _Get up off the floor boy, you don't half look a right prat!_ - **Now you better listen good** _’_ he growled, his tone suddenly, stand the hairs on the back of the neck up dangerous, as Constantine struggled to pull himself up to sit at the bar, apparently taking no notice of the sudden dangerous shift in the barman's demeanour. ‘You don't go round telling anyone them sirens ate anyone on these premises do you hear? What they chose to do with men stupid enough to chase after em outside of my establishment is no concern of mine. I just didn't care for them dumping the bodies here and marking _my_ territory’.

The barman's eyes began to glow as if magical, but unlike Constantine's vivid mesmerising gold, _they were pure orange flames._ He looked absolutely menacing for a moment before the flames in his eyes receded. ‘You’, he pointed a long, suddenly black claw-tipped finger at Constantine, his hand suddenly taking on a gnarled scaled appearance as if it wasn't human. ‘You were only supposed to serve them an magical rescind of their invitation,  _not bloody kill them._ You're a menace  _child’._ The barman spat. His entire face starting to shift and change into something resembling a... _he wasn't even sure what!_ ‘I should have never asked you to help, more fool me for thinking you could handle a simple job without causing chaos! Now I have a Siren leader on my case looking for her missing sisters, and Dagon knows what else to deal with because you don't know how to behave like a flipping grown up, instead of a petulant child always banging on about how Demons are evil. -There apparently not so bad if you think you can use one to shag your way out of a gambling debt are they? _So you can just shut yer trap!’_

‘You bloody Dragons and your flaming tempers!’ Constantine grumbled. 

‘I haven't transformed into a Dragon in years, I'm not about to start over the likes of you am I, _you dozy blonde brat’._

‘Well I'll still thank yer to settle down. You're scaring my American friend here. Probably never seen a dragon in his life before and _-wait a minute_ how do you know about me and Imelda? _No one's supposed to know about that’._

‘Give over. _Everyone_ knows about that, not least of all because she was in here a few months back slagging you off that she's had better’.

‘Well explains how Manny knew. Thought it was just because he'd been watching. Probably looking for tips. Since he shagged a bird when I stuffed him in a human body he's been all out of sorts about it, probably blew his trumpet well before time if you catch my meaning. -As for Imelda _she **wishes** she had better’._

‘Yer. She does. I think that's the point lad’.

‘Eh? I showed her the best night of her life, despite her glamour not working properly on me so I had to deal with the slime and the rotten smell. But I still rose to the occasion and performed like the master I am, because be it magic or shagging, I am a professional man of my craft after all’.

‘Yeah I've heard that about you. How you got by when you were younger no? Before you fell in with the magic crowd and wound up stateside’.

‘Yer. I'm not ashamed of it. When I left home I was just a skinny lad without two brass farthings to rub together. I was in real danger of starving, had to rustle up grub somehow while trying to keep out of sight of the damn bizzies, who were just dying to round up us delinquents and shove us in a home where we'd be worse off than where we ran from in the first place. -So as a former professional and current legend of my craft I'm not having anyone slagging off my skills in bed! Especially not slimy hybrids like her. -Who I'm saying again for the record. _I showed the time of her life’._

‘Get away. You don't have the stones to take her on and win! -How could you? You're just a daft lad, _she's 11 thousand years old,_ and likes putting it about besides. And why shouldn't she? - _Of course she's had better._ You Know she once shagged an entire Greek army, switched genders and then shafted the opposing side? By morning she'd worn them all out and they were all too knackered to fight and went home. One way to stop a war I suppose. -Look, lad, you're reputation as a connoisseur of shagging notwithstanding, you're out of your league with that one boy’.

‘I've never been out of any one's league’.

‘I get it. You're easy’.

‘Not what I meant’  Constantine grinned, ‘but yeah I am, and proud of it an all’.

‘I have to say, your fella here isn't your usual type. Handsome enough but a bit on the burly side no? I thought you liked your lads a bit more your own size’.

‘He's an exception. Look at him _. **Anyone in their right mind would climb him like a tree’.**_

‘I'll drink to that lad’.

‘Me too’.

_‘Not without flaming paying you won't!’_

_‘Oh **come on** ’. _

‘He's pure Viking descended your fella, _I can smell it,_ not many of those about these days. Tell you what, trade us a little of his flash and blood and a free real drink is yours’.

‘I _might_ consider it if you pour us a glass of that prized Dalmore single-malt Scotch’.

 _‘You're having a laugh ain’t yer!_ He's pretty your fella and his blood smells good, but he's not _Dalmore_ pretty. _No one is **that** pretty or has flesh and blood that good! _ I'm telling yer, even if Brad bleedin Pitt himself came in here with his ageing glamour dropped and offering his Viking-Elve blood, which is about as rare as it gets, he still wouldn't get a _free_ glass of Dalmore! 

-Best I could offer him is a slight discount _and he'd have to skin **and** drain himself to get that besides!’_

‘Never did see the fuss about Brad Pitt meself. I'm not too bothered with blokes who are prettier than most birds, _but I do make an exception for Ollie here’._

Constantine and the barman cracked up laughing like a couple of jerks and a mixture of rage and apprehension spiked through him. Rage because _**they were talking about him as if he wasn't sitting right here!** -A_nd Apprehension because the barman's laugh was suddenly _exposing long razor-sharp looking teeth._ Fortunately, _he was too pissed in all meanings of the phrase to care!_ They were both just lucky the barman had magic-hidden his bow at some point during the night because apparently it was making certain creatures in the bar nervous., and now the only other thing resembling a weapon to hand, was a miniature novelty ice-pick on display to mock anyone asking for ice.

-Well, if they didn't stop he was still capable of kicking their smug asses. ... And if that failed  because his legs weren't exactly working right now, then he'd just have to start throwing magic Crystal glasses _and hoping they were sharp when smashed!_ Either way _Constantine and his creepy monster friend were going to get what was coming to them if they didn't knock it off!_

-He'd had enough of all the weird for one night! -If he had his Bow he would have already put an arrow in both of their smug faces. _See how pretty they thought he was then!_  -And screw the witnesses  _and_ the threat of being eaten by the Dragon-barman!

It wasn't like a magical creature could to report him for assault with a deadly weapon at a mystical bar that couldn't be found unless you were invited. -And _an arrow to the face was the **least**_ Constantine and the dragon-barman deserved!

_No one tried trading his flesh and blood for drink!_

_**-Not if they wanted to live!** _


	13. Enter The Dragon

He punched Constantine in his grinning face and he went down like a ton of bricks, _which satisfied._

-‘Now now lads!’ The barman objected, ‘I don't care how sweet you two shirt-lifters are on each other, _absolutely no brawling in my establishment!_ Take it outside!’

‘Shirt-lifters!’ he repeated in disbelief.

Constantine, who'd satisfyingly landed on his face, turned over _wailing_ with laughter _and his satisfaction over punching him disappeared._

‘Do I need to translate that one for yer mate? _-or do you get what he means?’_

He got it. -And he was going to kick Constantine's ass for laughing about it, - _as soon as his legs started working again!_

The Barman tsk-tsked and came out from behind the bar. He thought he caught a glimpse of clawed feet and a tail, but when he blinked they were gone as the barman hauled Constantine to his feet, divested him of his coat for some reason, poured a smoky looking liquid down his throat, and deposited him on a chair with a bottle of what he'd like to assume was actually scotch this time instead of mystical poison but didn't dare. -Not that Constantine seemed to mind, as looking worse for wear he raised whatever the drink was to him in a toast-

_-and downed it straight from the bottle._

The Barman went back behind the bar and he _definitely_ saw a long glowing tail disappearing around the corner this time!

‘Drink it’ the barman snapped, slamming a Crystal glass of the same smokey looking liquid he'd given Constantine in front of him.

‘Oooh me legs are back as well as other _lower_ parts all raring to go mate’ Constantine grinned, ‘as side effects go this is not an unpleasant one. In fact, _best drink ever!_ Drink up Ollie. -Or don't you want to get your legs back this month? I told you, this stuff takes Donkey's years to wear off on its own. We'll still be plastered for hours this way as it is, but at least we'll be able to actually walk our shirt-lifting selves outside now!’

It was time to go was all he could think, not least of all because he did not like the way the Barman was looking at him, his nose changing shape, flattening and getting larger, nostrils flaring as he breathed him in. As if his flesh and blood had become less of a suggested trade and more of dinner plans. -But leaving wouldn't happen without working legs, so he downed the smokey silvery substance, which tasted like warm honey and set the drained glass on the bar where it disintegrated leaving glittering dust and swirling smoke at his fingertips.

The sensation returned to his legs almost instantly, _along with an unwanted tingling in his groin._ The look on Constantine's face said that was clearly the best part for him and he sighed because _-could this night get any weirder?_

‘Thanks for the aphrodisiac’ Constantine grinned at the barman, ‘can't say as I need it, I'm always on me, but it's appreciated just the same!’

‘Well I thought your fella here might appreciate it... maybe he'd even be inclined to-

-‘Give you a go on him?’

‘Not me you dozy twat, _you._ I've no interest in having a go on your fella or any member of your species. You're kind are fragile, mostly highly flammable, and only come in the two genders, where's the fun in that? No. I want his flesh, his _blood_ -

 _-‘And we're leaving’_ he hissed hauling Constantine up out of his chair.

‘If you ever change your mind’ The Dragon-Barman drawled.

 ** _‘I won't’_** he hissed behind clenched teeth.

‘I was talking to your little blonde Mage, not you Okvar Quenskaurd’.

_‘My name is-_

-‘Your _real_ name child, who you really are is Okvar Quenskaurd. If Dragons know one thing it is destiny. You and I, much like you and your little Mage friend were destined to meet and will meet again. Until then. Live, fight, and die with honour young Okvar’.

‘Live, fight, and die with honour heralded Dragon Lord. May the blessing of Daiygon be always upon your head’ shot out of his mouth in instant reply. **_What the hell did he just say?! -And who the hell was Daiygon?!!!_**

The Dragon-barman, who he suddenly felt he _knew_ smiled at him, exposing his lethal-looking teeth again, and he hauled Constantine up harder, dragging him towards where he could have sworn the door had been but he couldn't see it! -Did he have to be led _out_ by an invited as well as in?

_‘And what the bleedin heck do you think you're playing at?’_

The barmaid was in front of them, hands on hips, leaning forward and giving Constantine another eyeful of ample cleavage that had him grinning from ear to ear. Again he seemed to want to say something suggestive, but what came out of his mouth in a forlorn tone was, ‘my coat, he took my coat, it's my superhero cape, give us it back love’.

The balled up coat came sailing at Constantine's head at speed as if the Barman had thrown it, but then it mystically slowed and the next thing he knew it was just _on_ him. Constantine grinned at him his head suddenly lolling to the side, _then he passed out cold._

‘You see. You're going nowhere with him legless like that! He drank twice as much as you did and right now he only _thinks_ the stuff he drank to sober him up is working. Truth is it will take a few more minutes. -So as much as you might want to sweep him up and carry him over the threshold all bride like, if you actually want to leave he has to lead you out, as in with his own two feet flat on the floor, so quit being the world's doziest boyfriend and put him down’.

He realised his hauling had become more of a fireman's carry at some point during the conversation and lowered Constantine into the nearest chair. ‘I am _not_ his boyf- something was _wrong_ he realised as he straightened up. The entire pub was suddenly empty and silent. _When the hell had everyone left?_ His level of situational awareness routinely saved his life, giving him the upper hand against even superhuman opponents, the first thing he should have noticed was an entire pub emptying around him! But he could have sworn people, well magical creatures were around just moments ago. Was it magic? Had they all just _vanished?_

The barmaid was moving closer he realised, suddenly noticing she wasn't human either. Tiny gold and black horns had started poking out of her flaming red-orange hair, and her now razor sharp teeth as she slowly grinned at him looked lethal enough to make a shark feel inadequate. _They were in danger,_ He could **_feel_** it! -And he didn't know where the barman had magicked his bow! Pretending not to notice what was happening he assessed the situation, confirming the barman was now a few feet behind him. _They were being flanked._

The barman and the barmaid were talking to each other he realised, their voices now indistinguishable from each other as they spoke in a language he didn't know and yet could inexplicably understand.

_‘We should wait, this is not the time. We are set to meet again’._

_‘The chance is now we should take it. Have we not waited long enough?’_

_‘Even ones such as us cannot bend destiny to our will, what will be must be’._

_‘This is not an attempt at such. This is recognising the hand of destiny in delivering Okvar to us. A living warrior of the blood who has fought well and accepted the mead we gave in oblation. All the rituals have been observed. Now, all that remains is for Okvar to die well. A worthy death befitting a warrior is his right’._

A look passed between the Dragons and he braced himself to fight. Constantine was out of commission so he had to fight _and_ protect him. The two on one factor was nothing he faced multiple attackers all the time, but he'd never faced Dragons. He had to assume he was at a power disadvantage. -Speed, agility, and ranged attacks were his best option while he tried to wake Constantine. Hopefully, Constantine could get his bow back, combined with his magic they might stand a chance of making it out of this alive as they had earlier with the Demon King. 

-He feinted back presenting himself as a moving target while drawing the fight away from Constantine. If he could get closer towards the bar he could draw the dragons into a head-on attack rather than having them circle him. The bar could also provide some cover and the bottles could be used as weapons As he lept for the bar he spotted a few knives, probably used to cut limes. They were small but looked sharp and could serve as ranged and close combat weapons if he had could get to them and any liquid he could throw on Constantine to hopefully bring him round -he suddenly felt intense heat on the back of his neck and spun around to find the Barmaid was inches in front of his face, when had she -flames were dancing inside her opening mouth. _He was going to die-_

-The door suddenly appeared out of nowhere as it literally blew off its hinges. An absolutely livid looking Manny stood on the other side glaring at them, his unusual eyes practically aflame with rage.

_**‘Why do you test my patience human?!** _ You call me _here,_ to this sordid place, _where the repugnant beasts of the earth commit their vile congress!’_

‘I resent that’. The barman sounded completely mild mannered as he suddenly stood back behind the bar absently polishing a Crystal glass - _as if its magical glow had anything to do with polishing, and he hadn't just been trying to kill him!_ -But the barman's calm was contrived, a pretence, _he could see it,_ even if his hands weren't turning scaly again and his grip on the Crystal glass wasn't so tight it was putting deep cracks in it that were filling with orange flames.

The barmaid's features were also shifting and changing becoming less human, her formerly blue-green eyes now glowing with golden flames.

‘You will stand down Halind Skaurd, consort and former steed of the darkest one _or you will die here as will your sister’._ Manny turned his furious gaze to the Barmaid, ‘step aside Hesrheign and give those humans to me. It is a pity to see a former noble Valkyrie and her once noble brother, Odin's first elite, fall to this base debauchery, nothing more than peddlers of vice to the week and the damned. Do you think Constantine's Viking can save your wretched souls? You think he can restore your honour if you fight him to the death?’

‘We know he can. He has already offered the blessing of Daiygon’.

‘Worshipping Daiygon is how you came to be cursed in the first place! You knew your false god Odin was petulant and jealous, yet you both foolishly worshipped another in secret, _you brought your demise upon yourselves._ **Enough!** ’ A glowing sword appeared in Manny's hand, ‘the humans, _**now**_. I will not ask again’.

‘Even for one of your species you are young celestial. You think _you_ know the tale of our demise? You know _nothing_ child _,_ so save your misplaced righteous fury. You have no right to interfere, had you not interceded the battle would have already begun. He would be dead and our honour would be restored. Now we will have to wait thanks to you’.

‘What's going on?’ Constantine sat bolt upright so fast it might have been comical if they weren't in imminent danger of being eaten. ‘Oh Ollie mate, what are you doing here so early in the morning? Did we finally spend the night together? Breakfast then? I'll make you scrambled eggs and you can tell me how amazing and fantastic I was... I'm not saying we were so bladdered last night I can't remember... but my memory could use a jog’.

‘We haven't left the pub’ he whispered low and urgent, ‘pay attention and follow my lead, the only reason we're both still alive was Manny interrupted after they decided to kill me’.

 _‘Kill you?_ Who was trying to bloody kill you? _What are you on about?_ -Wait, _Manny? **Bullocks!** This has gone tits up! _ -I mean nice of you to drop by mate, didn't think this was your kind of establishment.... can I get you a drink? I can't speak to the Scotch actually being Scotch, but you should be alright with a soda water... _just._ ...Okay, just going to stand there with a face on like a slapped arse then? Fine! If you don't want a drink what the bleedin heck are you doing here?’

 _ **‘What does it look like I'm doing here?!’**_ Manny thundered, ‘I was summoned to save your worthless lives!’

‘Hey! What are you yelling at me for? I didn't bloody call you here of all places. _What idiot would?’_

‘This blasphemous lover of yours!’

‘Wait _he_ called you?! Ollie mate, why would you do that, what the bloody hell were you thinking? Would ya invite a priest round to a junkie doss house you and all your mates were having it off in? Would yer invite your sober sponsor round when you were off yer face and doing body shots off the barmaid? _Course you bleedin wouldn't!_ Oh you have put me _right_ in it mate! _I'm never going to hear the bloody end of this!_  
Manny's lot, just like a priest or addiction counsellor, are quite literally the fun police, the fastest way to kill any party dead. Although judging by the looks of it in here he wouldn't have to go far. Where's everybody gone? I've never once seen this place without any punters! -Alright, WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON?!’

_‘I'm guessing the place being empty has something to do with everyone not wanting to get caught in the crossfire when your Dragon friends were trying to kill me!’_

‘Wait _they_ tried to hurt you?’ A strong surge of power flared through the room, Constantine's mood shifting dramatically, his eyes glowing pure white, rage rolling off him in palpable waves of magical energy. ‘I don't know what you think you're playing at Harry-

-‘I play at nothing. My sister and I intended to fight Okvar to the death. And my true name is Halind’.

‘Halind? As in… Well, well. I knew you were a Dragon Lord of old, but I had no idea you were _**the** _ Dragon Lord of old. -But here's the thing mate. I don't stand on ceremony for royalty me, just ask Ollie here what happened when a Demon King started giving himself airs around me earlier, _I stuffed his arse in a hell portal_ that's what happened, _and I'll do exactly the same thing to you! So for your sake, you better not look twice at him again or else!’._

‘I do not doubt your resolve child. _Do not doubt ours._ We _will_ meet Okvar on the field of battle and on that day, _he **will** die’. _

I won't let you lay a claw on him. You keep calling him Okvar instead of Oliver, sounds like some old-timey version of his name, so I'm guessing this is about one of them dragon blood debts or some such bullocks. _Well I don't care what your problem is with him,_ and like I told you earlier _I don't care who you think you are._ So you best listen to what I'm telling you mate. -You can call him what you like, Oliver, Okvar, little orphan Annie, I don't give a toss so long as you understand this. That man, standing there, is under _my_ protection. If you want him you have to go through me, and let me tell yer’, Constantine snarled lowering his head, his expression one of pure violence as his glowing eyes shifted colour becoming a deep crimson red, _‘you **do not** want to try going through me’. _

The room _**exploded**_ into chaos, Crystal glasses shattering on tables, gold ornaments turning molten and melting, wind smashing into the room with a malevolent destructive force, decimating everything in its path. Constantine's feet began to lift from the floor and he rose in the air, his coat billowing like the superhero cape he'd claimed it was, electricity arching off his hands exploding the lights in the pub. He could hardly believe _**this**_ was his friend. _Right now he seemed as utterly terrifying as Manny, the Demon King, and the Dragons._

 **-He didn't belong here** , was his sudden thought as Constantine began to chant, his voice splintering becoming inhuman. He wasn't supernatural or a meta. He was just an excellent archer who was good in a fight. The walls began to crack and the ground began to shake as Manny's eyes widened in disbelief and _horror._

‘Constantine stop!’ Manny bellowed over the horrible roaring din, that sounded like nothing he'd ever heard before, ‘calm yourself you don't know what you're doing! - _I cannot allow you to unleash Underverse on this realm! **Do not make me strike you down!** ’ _

-The barmaid was instantly in mid air in front of Constantine blowing a silvery looking dust into his face. Constantine froze and the room was suddenly… _normal_. Everything was where it had been before as Manny's agitated gaze darted around the room. _-‘Forget’_ the barmaid whispered, blowing gold then red dust into Constantine's face.

‘You see Celestial’ the barman drawled, his calm tone belied by his scaled hands, laboured breathing and distorting features, flames glowing inside his mouth as he looked at Constantine who was now stood on the ground unmoving as a statue. ‘The Danger has passed and your precious mortal weapon has not been harmed. My sister has merely placed temporary paralysis, forgetting, and intoxication spells upon him, necessary to calm his spirits. We know what that child is capable of when enraged even if he, and apparently you do not. That is why we bespelled him to Dragon slumber so as not to involve him in our fight with Okvar. And upon our victory would have blessed him with forgetting he ever knew such a friend to both spare his pain and prevent the unleashing of his true self. It was _your_ disruption of the magic binding him by breaking in here that is the cause of that nearly happening! _You have none to blame for this child's loss of control but yourself’._

But _How?’_ Manny muttered agitated. Loud thunder rumbled overhead, lightning crashing into the room and sparking off the glowing sword of pure light in Manny's hand. - _And if he thought Manny looked enraged before..._ ‘How can he even _speak_ the incantation to _locate_ Underverse _much less open a portal?_ My people have been trying and failing to do both since time immemorial. -But there was no mistaking the energy from the attempts that came close, it _was **Underverse**. _ How can some _mortal weapon_ have the key to unlocking its power and mysteries when the heavenly chorus have failed?’

‘Mortal weapons are rare and powerful’, the barman glanced over at Manny, ‘they can do extraordinary things, reach heights of power that immortals struggle to reach over their long existence. But as is the way with mortals, mortal weapons lives are short, they burn so brightly they soon burn out’. The barman busied himself polishing Crystal glasses as if dismissing Manny's presence.

-‘ _Manny!’_ Constantine suddenly sprung into life, ‘what the bleedin heck are you doing here?!’

Manny's orange eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘You have been blighted by Dragon magic. _I already told you why I'm here! Your blasphemous lover summoned me to-_

-‘What _you_ called him, _here_ , of all places! Ollie mate, what have you done to me? -I'm never going to hear the bloody end of-

-‘We're not doing this again’ he snapped, noting Constantine seemed to be his usual mouthy self, not the levitating spectre of moments ago, exploding with power so monstrous it even had Manny rattled.

‘Doing what again Ollie mate? _What are you on about?’_

‘Apparently you'll remember soon. In the meantime, _and_ for the record, _I **did not** summon him here!_ I don't even know where _here_ is, much less know how to summon an Angel!’

‘Oh it's not actually difficult mate, you just call or even think his name. Either way he never bloody answers but that's beside the point. -And if he says you summoned him you must have, why else would he be here? I can only assume that really was one Scotch too many for yer, and _that_ that made you miss the glaring **NO SANCTIMONIOUS WANKERS ALLOWED** sign on the way in _or you wouldn't have done!_ -Oh well, never mind all that now because you're missing the most important thing mate, you know, that blasphemous lover bit, _Manny just called you me bird an all!_ See everybody already thinks we're shagging, it's another sign from the universe so go on, _give us a go on yer mate!’_

-Constantine collapsed into drunken laughter and he resisted the urge to drop him on the floor as he hoisted him up again dragging him to the door wondering just what was in that "Oblation mead". Whatever it was he was beginning to feel it didn't mix well with the gallons of so-called Scotch he'd consumed or the adrenaline coursing through his veins from almost being burned alive by murderous dragons.

-And they weren't out of danger yet! The Barmaid _clearly_ still wanted the chance to fry him as they went past! Her razor-sharp teeth were bared, her eyes aflame, streaks of bright orange fire escaping her mouth and nostrils.

‘Stand down Dragon’ Manny spat furiously, intricate silver and gold script suddenly swirling around the sword, it's bright glow intensifying as he pointed it at the barmaid in warning, her face distorting further as she stared at the sword enraged. ‘You know this blade Hesrheign. It is famous among you Valkyrie is it not? Crafted to meet out punishment to those deemed unworthy of Valhalla. Dying from it's cut curses those it wounds to suffer their worst fate for eternity. For you and you this means there will _never_ be any hope of restoring your honour’.

_‘Move again, **and I will use it** ’. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those worrying about when we get back to the hotness that is Oliver and Barry, fear not, what's happening now is important to what's coming next, (-no moderately dirty and completely juvenile pun intended, unless it's funny, -then pun intended). All I'm saying is _stay with me here people!_ A little waiting makes it all the more delicious when it happens... at least that's what I tell myself when my corsets are getting a little snug, -well snugg-er than their already restrictive nature intended, and it's time to lay of the sugar, and gasp, sob, exercise... still in a corset of course. What O-o? exercise is no excuse for dressing down, this ain't no casual Friday! ;D
> 
> ** curiobi **@ ~.~@** **


	14. Elemental

‘If you value your life Celestial, you will not point that sword at my sister again. As for you Constantine, it goes without saying that you are _barred_ ’.

‘I'm _what!_ Over a little love tap between friends? _-Give over’._

‘When the spell wears off you will understand, or as I might have said to you in the past, _you're not stopping here you dozy little twat._ But the time for pretence is over. We have known you were the path since your birth child, and here, you have brought us what we need just as you were destined to do. For that, we blessed you with sacred mead and sought to spare you witnessing what must be done, but we are under no illusions about you child, you are kindred, _born of chaos, bred of **fire** too much for a mortal_. Your years are too short to balance your power. You must not allow rage to consume you lest you doom many and further blight your soul _’_.

 _‘What the bleedin hell are you going on about?_ Have you been at the source Harry? -Ollie’ he whispered loudly, teetering on his feet as he held him up, ‘I think he's been necking some of the stock!’

‘We bless you child. _Now take your arrogant little celestial and the one who will restore our honour and **leave** ’. _

‘Wha- 

-An invisible force pushed them out of the door. The pub disappeared into thin air leaving him standing on a busy street and facing a furious Angel for the _second_ time tonight.

‘I should smite you both where you stand _and have done with it’_ Manny spat as Constantine lolled beside him as he hoisted him up trying to keep him upright, while he tried to stand tall, refusing to cower even in the face of a wrathful device presence. ‘I would rather accept heaven's Judgment for striking a mortal down than have to deal with you or  ** _him_. ** So you tell your stupid drunk git he can expect a visit from me as soon as he sobers up - ** _and he's not going to like it!_** _’_

Manny  _vanished,_ and he did the only thing he could and hailed a cab, bundling a drunk chuckling Constantine into the back seat _._

After a few minutes of driving Constantine suddenly stopped laughing, and started wincing and rubbing his forehead. ‘Oh Mate, does my head hurt, what has been going on? The last thing I remember I drank that silver stuff and most of a bottle of something pretending to be premium scotch, then nothing until.… wait was Manny… Oh no, bits and pieces are starting to come back to me, _he **was** at the pub,_ banging on about… something, it's all a bit fuzzy to be honest, but I  remember him yelling something about you calling him to save us from…  _something’._

‘I will say it again. _I did not call him’._

Constantine shrugged, ‘well he seems to think you did, and trust me _that is **not** a good thing, _ so do yourself a favour and keep well out of it. They have their own agenda that lot and it's not to help any of us believe me’.

‘Speaking of which, he said to tell you-

-‘That he's going to give me a right bollocking when he next sees me? _yeah well he can stuffed_. I don't care what he has to say about me knocking about in a sanctuary pub, it's none of his- Constantine's eyes began to glow, his expression turning murderous, _-‘I will **swing** for those too! Driver! Turn this car back around! **I'm having them Dragons!** ’._

‘Just ignore him driver, he's had a few too many and just remembered he got screwed by pool hustlers from a, um, dragon gang, sorry, about that. -Constantine settle down!’ he hissed under his breath as soon as the driver turned his attention back to the road, ‘this is exactly why that Dragon-woman put that drunk-forgetting spell on you in the first place. I only wish it had lasted until we got back to the hotel. - If you really want to remember something, try the part where you completely freaked out and she had to magically sedate you before you quote _unleashed underverse’._

‘Before I _what!_ Ollie, mate, don't believe everything shady Dragons trying to kill yer say. Trust me, _there's no such place’._

‘It was Manny who said it not the Dragons’.

‘Funny. Never really took him for the joking type’.

‘He wasn't joking, he was… rattled, he even threatened to strike you down if you wouldn't stop. I think the barmaid may have saved your life by stopping you. Although I doubt that was her intention’.

Constantine turned to look at him, and with their faces so close together he could see there were streaks of amber, red, gold, and purple in the changing glow of his eyes’.

‘Manny's not exactly trustworthy either’, Constantine whispered, at least that's what it sounded like he said, but his lips were moving to something that seemed to be, ‘You're a right tasty bit of Handsome Queen _and_ you know it, so give us a kiss’.

‘I don't want to -wait a minute, _were you just using a SPELL on me?!’_

 _‘Chance would be a fine thing!_ Truth be told I've lost track of the number of spells I've tried and failed to use on yer since we first met on that Island. I mean do you honestly think someone with my powers has to restrain someone with flippin handcuffs?’

‘I only did it because not one single incantation I murmured had any effect on yer. -Fun as cuffing yer was in a kinky sort of way-, I had no bleedin choice! You Oliver Queen are literally impervious to any magic from me other than benevolent protection class spells. _I just don't understand it’._

‘I can't believe you've been -you know what, we have more important things to discuss, like how you were levitating for thing, then there's the wind and fire-

‘Ollie mate, I have a fair idea but, _how much **did** you have to drink,_ and did you also happen to snort a few lines of something illegal when I wasn't looking? -Because what you're going on about sounds more like an Elemental on a tear, _not a mage’._

‘What's an elemental on-a-tear?’

‘On a tear meaning on a rampage, and no one's really sure what exactly an Elemental is mate, just what they can do. There linked to, and get their powers from elements, -like water, fire, air, sex-

-‘Sex isn't an _element’._

‘Shows what you know Ollie mate, sex is _fundamental_ , it's life, like air, like fire, it's _vital_ , a must have’.

‘Those that live without it like priests and nuns might tell you different’.

‘Oh they'd like to I'm sure, but trust me their gagging for it just like the rest of us, _believe me, I should know._ -Oh come on Don't look at me like that, he was an ex of mine... so was she for that matter’.

‘Probably what drove her to a nunnery in the first place’. Oliver muttered.

‘Too right Ollie mate. She knew she could never get better than me’.

He sighed and shook his head wishing Constantine would focus what little of his mind was currently working on something other than sex. ‘So you have Elemental as well as magic powers? Is that what I saw?’

‘Constantine's eyebrows rose. ‘Ollie, mate, there's no such thing as an Elemental anymore. There haven't been any of them knocking about since God had his Angels hunt them all down and kill them. If you believe what you read it had something to do with them running wild, messing with all creation, and get this, giving god the collective finger when he told them to pack it in. Not ones for being told what to do elementals not even by god. So he put the Columbian necktie on the lot of them’.

‘Are you _sure_ there aren't any Elementals left?’ -If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that people always think something is extinct or disbanded, only to find it's alive, well, and more often than not on a collision course with their worldview. What better way to survive a heavenly mandated culling then to hide and pretend you're dead?’    
‘Think about it Constantine, If the Angels were supposed to kill all the elementals, don't you think that puts you in danger from Manny if there is even the slightest chance of you having some of the powers of one? You didn't see his face when you went all, whatever the hell that was, _but I did._ And I'm telling you be careful around him from now on’.

‘Noted mate. -But for the record I've never trusted the crafty sod anyway. -And I'm not one of them, it's not possible. There's no dealing with elementals from what I've read. Their power is practically limitless and they constantly have to work at staying in balance to control it, but most don't bother, they just go off the rails, -and they've got filthy tempers besides, especially if one of their base elements is fire. -There sex mad for another thing, something to do with their connection to creation and living planets, but they're supposed to be _always_ on it-

-‘Constantine, _you do realise you're describing yourself?’_

‘No, Ollie mate, I'm nothing like that, I'm cool me, suave you might say. I don't just go around messing with elements, and chucking fire about if I get miffed-

-or trying to shag anything that moves-

-‘Ah... Okay, listen. Look, that does sound a bit like me on paper, I'll give you that,

-‘But I'm telling you God himself wiped them out’.

‘No, what you said was god had his _Angels_ wipe them out’.

‘Same thing’.

‘Is it? What if one or more decided not to follow orders? -Because we all know the most famous case of an Angel rebelling … Look I'm not saying you are one of these elementals. I'm saying what if there's more to the story. I mean were they human? Did they have children? Could you be descended from them?’

‘They weren't exactly human, but they weren't exactly not, at least that's what the books say. -And no chance of being descended from one. Elementals aren't born see. It's cosmic or something… as in the cosmos, if you believe in such a thing, decides who gets to be an elemental. You've No chance of being one without knowing it’.

‘Well, all I know is it felt and sounded like you were tearing the earth in half. I don't know what would have happened if that dragon hadn't used that spell to stop you’.

‘I'm a powerful Magi if I do say so myself, and one my enemies would do well not to piss off, so if that dragon bird didn't want me losing my temper then she shouldn't have been trying to kill a mate of mine! I've got precious few of them to begin with, and I'm not having er taking the piss with the few I've got left! - _Oh, I've just figured out how to make them pay!_ a nice little internal exploding spell should do the trick, nasty stuff. Get one of those in you and whatever poor sod has to clean up after will be scraping what's left off the walls for bloody days. -Bollocks! finding them will be a trick, he barred me, it rescinds your invitation. I'll never be able to find the place again without another invited and they're few and far between. Even then that wouldn't get me through the door since I'm barred. -Mind you Manny can apparently get in without an invite, so all I've got to do is convince that tosser to bloody help me for a change, track down an invited and-

 _-‘No._ I don't want you going up against them alone’.

‘I'd be more worried about them-

- _‘No Constantine,_ you have to let this go. I get that you're a serious powerhouse when you're angry, but there are still two of them and they have the home court advantage, and if Manny was there and decided like this time, that he didn't like how powerful you'd become, then all 3 of them could attack you. I have the blood of enough friends on my hands already. I won't add yours. _So let it go_. People try to kill me all the time, it's an occupational hazard. I don't actually take it that personally and in the end, despite planning a deathmatch, they never actually got to lay a hand on me and we both made it out alive, _so let's just call it a damn win and leave it at that’._

 _‘Not bloody likely mate_. It's like I said, _**if they want to get to you they have to go through me!**_  -Ollie, I... I'm sorry, I got you mixed up with dragons bent on fighting yer to death mate. I've known them for years and I've never once seen them bothered with humans so I never saw any risk of to yer stopping by to drown a few gallons of scotch with me. I had no idea they made me an invited because they knew one day I give them the key to their sodding blood ritual’.

‘Constantine, there was... some _connection_ with Hallind. I can't explain how, but I think I  _know_  him’.

‘Well you might have in another life or plane of existence. Things are… tricky with dragons to say the least. There not from this or any other world, dimension, or reality known to man. And their tight-lipped about where they actually came from or even what they really are. We only call them “dragons” because when they first turned up back in the arse end of time that's the name they gave for their species.  
Everything humans know about them is from experience. But we do know some things, which is why I can say they can't just come out of their sanctuary to get you. They can't hide what they are without powerful magic that being cursed would have stripped from them. You've seen it, their glamour barely works in their own magical establishment, it's practically impossible for them to hide what they are outside of their pub sanctuary. Dragons are just not meant to be disguised or hidden, they're supposed to be a terrifying, flashy, fire-breathing spectacle,  _that's the point._  -People are _supposed_ to notice ruddy great dragons roaming about the place spoiling for a fight.   
If I know my dragon hiatoey, and I do, these particular Dragons are the legendary originals. The first of their kind TOMCOME over to our world. They're also famous for being cursed by Asgardian magic, that won't allow them to escape their curse and banishment by dying an honourable death until Odin says so, and that's not likely, what with him being a cantankerous old git, and his banishments being eternal and all.   
-Although, they got off lightly if you ask me. Odin is an unreasonable so-an-so by anyone’s standards. We're talking about a bloke who hung _himself_ from a tree and plucked out his _own_ eye. If he'll do that to himself, it's not difficult to see how he invented the Blood Eagle, one of the most brutal punishments ever invented. -

 

 

 

-‘Apparently languishing in banishment had become too much for those dragons and they thought they'd seize the opportunity when muggings here brought you to their sanctuary’.

‘They seem convinced they'll get another shot’.

‘If they even _try_ stepping out of the sanctuary, they will find me at the front of the line of Asgardian enforcers waiting to kick their bloody heads in!  
-Besides, unless you're planning on turning immortal there's only a certain amount of time they can actually fight you and it be considered an honourable fight or worthy death. Two legendary dragons against one human only works if you're as strong as you are now, but for us humans that can only be so many years. That was their chance and they missed it.  
...Although…. I just thought of something. Dragons do see bloodlines as single, so they might not even be talking about meeting _you_ again, they might have actually meant another of your bloodline. Halind kept calling you Okvar or something if I remwber rightly? That could have been an ancestor or be a future descendant, it's all the same to them. Bloody confusing for us though! -And you can just imagine how grudges and blood debts _never_ flippin end with Dragons?’

‘So you're saying my _descendants_ are in danger from them?’

‘Don't worry about it mate. They're marked by me and cursed by Odin. If they get out of line again, they will face the most belligerent old Norse git there is. There's no bigger badass to have your back, -other than me, -and Freya and her battalions of Valkyrie of course. They're downright vicious them! Even Dragons don't stand a chance! So believe me mate, no matter what they try or when, you and your bloodline are covered…’

Constantine's voice drifted off, his head sliding down to rest on his shoulder as he fell asleep.

The effects of the so-called alcohol and whatever had been in that silver smoke mead were definitely getting _worse_. It was all he could do not to pass out himself. -As if that wasn't bad enough the driver kept shooting him unfriendly looks. Whether it was due to him assuming they were boyfriends and being bigoted enough to make a show of not liking it, -or because he'd overheard some of the conversation and thought they were both crazy, he didn't know, he just wanted him to pay attention to the damn road, not be one of those homophobic dick drivers who threw people out of the car, and not turn out to be a minion, demon, dragon, or anything else he'd have to deal with tonight.

By the time they made it to the hotel they were both half dead, less walking and more dragging each other through the lobby and into the elevator.

He would deny it if ever asked but he was pretty sure there was actually some crawling between the elevator and the hotel room door.

Getting the key card in had been _impossible. -_ Not least of all because they were on the floor and couldn't reach. He was just glad none of his team had been around to witness the state he was in.

They managed to pull themselves to a sitting position with their backs against the wall opposite the door, just trying to summon the energy and sobriety to get into the room, this final hurdle seemingly _insurmountable_ to their completely wasted selves as they sat there exhausted unable to move another inch.

‘My beds on the other side of that door, _which makes that door my enemy’_ Constantine muttered beligerently,  his eyes glowing as he chanted, -suddenly the door exploded **silently and in slow motion** , _which went right up there with the rest of the weird he had seen today!_

He hoisted Constantine up dragging him through the door, which magically reformed and even locked itself as he was dragging Constantine towards the bedroom. Constantine grasped his hand, his eyes glowing as he was muttering what sounded like drunken gibberish.

Suddenly he started to feel a little better, and he realised Constantine had healed him a bit, clearing him of the worst effects of the magical concoctions they'd drunk. He was still pretty wasted but at least he wasn't seeing triple anymore and could stand, walk, and maybe even speak without hurling, passing out or both.

-Maybe Constantine had healed him or tried to because he: couldn't use healing magic on himself, could apparently only use healing or protection magic on him, and needed one of them to be the designated sober, well, _marginally_ sober companion in case one of them got magical alcohol poisoning, which, considering how much they'd drank and how sick he'd felt moments ago, had to be a likely possibility.

‘Look I'm _vulnerable_ here mate’, Constantine slurred as he helped him out of his trademark Mack when it became apparent he was far too drunk to do it. ‘Don't often get that way, and I can't believe you're just going to leave me unmolested when I do.  _Now that's just mean!_  At least lift up your shirt like you did when I asked you to on the Island

-and let me get another look and feel of those side abs or whatever they're called. -You know I almost started panting the first time I saw them, _that is quite a body you have there mate’._

-Tell you what, why don't you hop into bed and give us a go on you? -Promise you'll like it. I know how to do ...  _**things** that will make you wish I'd never stop’. _

‘And yet  _my answer is still, **no** ’._

Constantine squinted up at him drunkenly, ‘ _Now I wouldn't be the first man to try to get into your kecks would I Ollie mate?’_

_‘My what?’_

‘Yer pants, yer military khakis, I'm not the first bloke to try and get you out of them am I?’

He shook his head. _That would have been Tommy._

 

‘But I  _would_  be the first time you'd been on the receiving end?’

‘Truthfully I've never considered being on the receiving end. I'm sure it doesn't surprise you to hear being subservient isn't my thing’.

‘...So, what you're telling me is you're still a virgin?’ Constantine collapsed against him, his voice muffled against his chest, ‘Just want you to know mate, if you're trying to inflame my passions - _it's working’._

 _It was just about the most ridiculous thing anyone had **ever** said to him, _ which considering his life and circle of friends was saying something, and despite the literal hell of a night they'd both had, he found he couldn't help laughing.

He back walked Constantine to the bed, and as he'd done for a seriously drunk Tommy a time or two, he sat him down, kneeling in front of him and helping him take off his shoes.

‘So despite that tantalising position you're in, that's still a no on getting in here with me and letting me be the first man to show you what's what?’

‘That's a no, just as it always has and always will be. –‘Would you just give this up? At this stage, I don't even think you really want to sleep with me anymore, it's like you just don't want me thinking I'm the one that got away’.

‘Oh believe me,  _I want to_. -And who said you were getting away?’

If anyone else had kept this up, he would have introduced his fist to their face,  _repeatedly_ , -but Constantine got away with a lot with him.

‘I know what your problem is Ollie mate. I know why you're reluctant to hop on board. It's because you heard all that about me having it off with a 11 thousand-year-old demoness who shagged two entire armies for an evening’s sport and you think I probably caught something, well your wrong. I happen to know a magical spell that I like to call the Trojan that covers my horse. Keeps my best asset safe and protected with no loss of sensation for either party, best bit,  _it's reusable’._

He'd been chuckling at that nonsense when Constantine yawned. ‘For future reference, just remember I'm a dirty blonde by hair and by nature, but I'm clean as a whistle where it counts. That change yer mind? Come on, promise you don't know what yer missing out on.  _I'm the stuff **legends** are made from, me’._

‘I'm okay with just taking your word for that’ He retorted dryly.

‘Hold on I'm on to something here, I know what's going on. -Ollie have you been turning me down all this time because you're afraid I won't still respect you as the alpha male type you are in the morning if you let me have a go on yer?  Never fear mate! Remember what I told you when we met up for drinks after I helped with Sara? _I respect everyone I sleep with’._

 

‘I do mate. Seriously. Even when it comes to cheeky demonesses I’m too much of a gentleman to shag and tell. You heard it yourself,  _she_ was the one going round telling everyone _not me_. -You know since we're mates I'll be happy to prove I'm telling the truth about being spectacular in bed to yer. Just so you know the truth and all, and I'll not breathe a word to that brawny best mate of yours or the bevvy of beautiful lads and lasses you're known to knock about with. _No one will ever hear a word about it from me._ Promise. Although _you_ might not be able to resist telling, -yer know, best night of your life and all that’.

‘Constantine, would you listen, nothing sexual is  _ever_ going to happen between us. -And again, for the record, it would not be sex right now  _it would be sexual assault_ because you're way too drunk to consent!’

‘ _Who says I am!’_

‘Constantine, how about wejust get you into bed _before you pass ou-_

-‘Yes! _let's get into bed, **that's what I've been saying!**_ -Glad you finally agree. _Took you long enough._ Well. Come on then Ollie Love’ Constantine slurred, rubbing his fingers together his eyes glowing with magic, ‘let's be having yer. _I can literally take you to another world mate’._

‘No, I'm fine with this one, and I've had all the magic I'm going to deal with tonight’.

Constantine sprawled out on the bed on his back and muttered, ‘Cus I’m generous I’ll give you one last chance mate, no magic, you can do what you like to my defenceless body if you must. Even though I'm a top, I will make an exception in your case so long as you promise to give me a _right_ seeing to, and I'll promise not to use magic on yer, not that I could anyway. Blimey, you have no idea how frustrating it is to meet someone you want to shag the ever living daylights out of, only to find you can use  _nothing_ out of your usual book of well-honed magical sex skills’.

-‘I mean sex without magic is... I don't even know what, I've not even tried since I was a lad and accidentally got this tasty couple so hot and bothered they caught fire. Don't worry,  it was magic fire, it didn't kill em, just made them both come so hard they passed out. Which left me free to scarper with his wallet and her car keys. I Wrapped the car round a tree, too busy gloating over what I'd done to drive straight... well, that and I couldn't actually drive at the time straight or otherwise, but I thought after what I'd just done, how hard could it be? -Anyway, I escaped the crash with hardly a scratch, and 200 quid extra from his wallet on top of what he paid me to play with him and his missus. Point is, I've never looked back since. Haven't you heard the saying Ollie mate, _once you go magic, sex without it is tragic’._

Constantine grinned suggestively then suddenly yawned. ‘Can't believe I'm saying this but scratch the invitation for a bit unless all you want to do is sleep, because I think I’m about to _seriously crash’._

‘I'll try to live with the disappointment’.

‘I know it's a let down, just do your best to cope mate’.

He shook his head part bemusement part disbelief watching as Constantine, cuddled the pillow like a lover rubbing up against it as he murmured, ‘to get 40 winks uninterrupted, oh I would love it. I normally can't get any decent kip, what with Angels, Demons, and all sorts bothering me with work and general bollocks at all hours’.

‘You want my advice Constantine, go for the sleep, it's a better use of your time than hitting on me’.

‘Look don't worry mate, quick power map, and I'll be on top form to give you the night of your life’.

‘Really’ he replied dryly.

‘Satisfaction guaranteed every time mate, amd never you mind what that Imelda says, she's only saying it so I'll have another go. Can't get enough of me clearly’.

‘Constantine’ he sighed, ‘I'm going to say this as simply as I can _and_ for the last time. Even if I suddenly wanted to try bottoming,  _which I don't,_ and even if you were my type, _which you're not,_ getting into bed with you right now is out of the question because you literally consumed your own body weight in whatever that dragon-barman was giving us and passing off as alcohol. And even if by _some miracle_ you could get it up, or more accurately lie there and take it because I'm a top and that's never going to change, -you can't possibly consent to anything when you're so drunk you can't take off your own shoes and coat without help _and would probably struggle to spell your own damn name right now’._

‘It's a long name’ Constantine objected, ‘and some idiots spell it with a K. -And don't even get me started with the original Greek spelling,  _or we'll be here til bloody Christmas. -_ Also, first names actually John... not that anyone cares or really calls me that... or cares’.

Constantine fell silent and he was just about to crawl over to the couch and let him sleep it off in the bed alone when he mumbled, ‘You really came through for me today mate. That Demon King situation was bad Oliver, maybe the worst I've ever seen, and I've been doing this a long time. So thanks for helping me out and keeping me alive today, and not holding it against me that I brought you to a place where dragons have some sodding blood-beef they want to settle with yer’.

-‘Look you're a good mate Ollie, and those are difficult to find. You ever need anything, including a warm bed to sleep in, preferably with me, don't hesitate to ask’. He rolled from his back to his side mumbling, ‘I'll be there before you know it mate’ into the pillow then passed out.

... He snapped out of his memories, putting down the arrowhead he was working on and reaching for his phone.

He could only hope when he called this time, Constantine wasn't living up to his strange life and in literal hell again so he could actually take him up on his offer of help.

He needed Constantine to teach him how to safely transfer his magic to a mystical item, totem, or even person strong enough to wield it without succumbing to the dangers. -But if that wasn't possible, or the magic turned dark and couldnt be transferred or controlled, he was under no illusions about what had to happen.

_**He would have to convince Constantine to put him down**._


	15. Mercenary Magic

It would have to be made to look like a routine accident and done in such a way that it couldn't be traced back to Constantine. Above all, he had to make sure there were no repercussions for Constantine and that he didn't hold back and put a permanent end to him if it came to it.

It wouldn't be easy to talk Constantine into doing what might have to be done, to say the least. -And after everything he'd said to Barry it felt hypocritical to even be considering asking a friend to kill him, but no matter how similar their situations seemed to be on the surface, there was a fundamental difference.

Barry, at his core, was a good person. It was written all over him. Every smile, every decision, even the way Barry saw so much good in him that wasn't there was because he was essentially an innocent, _a pure soul. -_ Nothing like the psychopathic mass murdering speed junkie Zoom, or the sociopathic killer Thawne-Wells he feared he'd become.

Bottom line. As long as Barry had people he loved and wanted to protect in this or any other world he would _never_ turn.

Unlike Barry, He was at his core a warrior, _a killer who liked killing. **He'd turned years ago.**_

In the Bratva he'd tortured a man to death. Despite the man breaking and giving information almost instantly, he'd skinned him alive until he died _ **for practice** , to see how far the monster could go. _

Even a hardened mobster like Anatoli had been horrified. Telling him what he was doing wasn't human, that he couldn't put on a hood and think he could control the monster inside him. -But he'd been foolish and arrogant enough to delude himself into believing he could separate the monster from the man with a piece of clothing. He'd gone so far with it he'd looked Tirana's devastated mother in the eye and answered her question “who killed my children?” by telling her “a monster”. - _And he'd meant it. -_ As if saying that could actually mean someone other than him had killed both of her children with his bare hands no matter the mitigating circumstances.

-Then, in a vengeful murderous quest to Kill the man responsible for Triana being abducted and forced onto the Island, he'd ended up getting her mother killed. -How could he have thought what he was doing was for Triana when he'd failed at what would have mattered the most to her, _-keeping her mother alive and safe._ He should have made sure Triana's mother ran from Kovar and never looked back, instead, he'd left her vulnerable _and Kovar had beaten her to death._

 _An entire family dead._ -The  blood  of each and every one of them on _his hands._

And while circumstance might have forced him to kill both Vlad and Triana, there were _many_ times when he'd killed when he didn't have to. He'd killed when he could incapacitate. Executed when he could have imprisoned. And killed to keep his identity secret when he could have chosen another way.

Bottom line: _He killed because he was a killer._

**_He'd poisoned his soul long ago._**

If the magic in him turned dark, the monster he'd put on the hood to learn to control and never completely succeed would have free reign and virtually unlimited power.

_That **couldn't** be allowed to happen._

He didn't underestimate how difficult a sell it would be to get Constantine to agree to take his life when he was so invested in saving it. Constantine had marked him with protection spells that saved his life when they first met, publicly declared he was under his protection, and quite literally gone ballistic when dragons tried to kill him. -But he would _have_ to make Constantine understand there was no choice. If he got past the point where he could be helped, then he would _have_ to be stopped **_by any means necessary._**

Right. One other person to call before Constantine.

‘I thought I told you to **_stay_** _**away** ’, _Caitlin snapped, finally answering, _‘that includes calling!’_

‘It's important Caitlin. I've just figured out how and why the magic affected Barry the way it did-

 _-‘Yeah, I already figured that out._ Let's just say when I was looking for a medical explanation as to why my friend had been mysteriously intoxicated, saturated in someone else's pheromones, and for all I know _permanently_ marked _by a set of teeth,_ I didn't have to look much further than the magic-infested, biting Neanderthal who recently lowered his inhibitions with magic and took advantage of him’.

‘That's _not_ what happened. The magical intoxication thing happened _after_ the sex not before-

-‘And I'm sure to your twisted mind that makes all the difference. So. Have you figured out how to make it stop or have you just called to inform me of your pointless navel-gazing about obvious conclusions?’

‘I haven't figured out how to make it stop yet but I'm working on it. I won't transfer magic to Barry that affects his ability to heal again, you have my wo-

 _-‘Your word isn't worth anything to me._ As for infecting Barry ever again. You're right. _You won't._ And since you don't have any useful information that could actually help fix what you did to Barry we are _done_ talking’.

_‘Oh and **get** **dead soon** ’._

_Click_.

The inhuman snarling echo in her voice on the last comment told him Caitlin had transformed into her metahuman alter ego mid-conversation like she'd almost done back at Star Labs.

When Barry sent him to see Caitlin she'd been so angry she'd used enough force to extract blood from him the puncture mark had practically been a through and through stab wound, and it was clear she was barely restraining herself from having his blood through _far_ more violent and less survivable means.

 _She'd been absolutely **livid**_ about his not using a condom with Barry, and he'd been forced to take her tongue lashing about being irresponsible because she was right. -But it simply hadn't entered his head to use a condom at the time, _in so much as he'd literally forgotten they existed._

With hindsight, he probably shouldn't have said that to Caitlin to explain it hadn't been a deliberate reckless decision not to protect Barry. -Or mentioned she had incontrovertible proof he was clean, so there was no risk of transmitting an STD. It had only served to turn livid into _dangerous_ , her eyes flashing Killer Frost blue as she glared at him.

He'd been looked at by enough people who wanted to kill him to know they were about to have a problem. Her fury clearly making it difficult for her to control her murderous metahuman half, her hair and eyes starting to change colour as she was snarling, _‘that **grabby possessive** magic you **infected** Barry with is as much an STI as any other !_ -And I have absolutely no intention of letting you hurt Barry any more than you already have! _Get out of my lab Oliver’,_ she hissed her voice changing to the ghostly echo of Killer Frost ‘and leave Barry alone. _He deserves so much better than **you** ’._ He restrained himself from instinctively going for his weapon and left rather than engage, because an all-out death match with Killer Frost was the last thing Barry or any of them needed.

What was with Caitlin and Barry anyway? He thought as he walked back to the control room to get Barry. Team baby were all very close, But Caitlin and Barry… He had to admit, he just didn't understand there relationship.

He hadn't been sure Barry even got it, -because zipping around oblivious to the horde of people that wanted him, and being clueless to some of those people being right in front of his face was Barry's default setting-. Then Felicity told him Barry had been the one who talked Caitlin out of permanently becoming Killer Frost, even though by all accounts Killer Frost was volatile, powerful, sadistically enjoyed attacking members of the team, and had Ice powers that were _lethal_ to a speedster.

And yet, even after _climbing on top of Barry and almost freezing him to death with a kiss._

Barry had released her from the pipeline without the team's back up or knowledge, and _all but taunted her with an ultimatum: _She could leave if she wanted to, he wouldn't fight her, **all she had to do was kill him first.** __

__

And by all accounts, _he had **not** been bluffing._

Which meant, Barry would literally rather _die_ than see Caitlin become evil, -or despite all the evidence to the contrary, he'd been completely sure she wouldn't be able to go through with killing him even on the verge of going fully dark. - _And he'd been right._

Either way, Barry had been the only one able to get through to her. Every other member of the team had failed including Cisco who she supposedly favoured the most. ... Whatever was between Caitlin and Barry was clearly _very **deep** , _so much so it seemed to extend to her alter ego, even though it was well established Caitlin Snow and Killer Frost were two completely different personalities who agreed on nothing. Yet both personalities were apparently in full agreement that neither wanted Barry to have anything to do with him.

**_It seemed to be a theme._ **

Whichever-Wells had appeared in the endless spiral hallway and was glaring at him, as in arms crossed, brows down, disdain. _He was on no mood after his near confrontation with Killer Frost,_ especially since Whichever-Wells was getting in his face husking in his serial-killer style whisper, ‘Oliver. I understand that you have some kind of inappropriate senpai-junior thing going on with young Mr Allen, the problem is it's, as I just said, _inappropriate_ , if not flat-out illegal. The jury's still out on that one, which it _literally_ might be when you're indicted, if not in a court of law, then in the court of public opinion, for taking advantage of a naive young boy’.

-‘What you need to do is stop this now and let him find his own way, and by that, I mean to his future wife when he grows up. In case you don't know Allen and Iris are married on this Earth in the future _and_ on other earth's. That means they're _destined_ to be together. Any sensible, decent, or in your case underhanded and unacceptable person might choose to steer clear of that particular love juggernaut. The universe has a way of getting what it wants, and in no universe are you the kind of person a nice kid like Allen should be with. If he ever decides to take up torture, and murder, and God knows what else I've heard about you, we'll let you know, in the meantime, _stay away’._

He slammed whichever-Wells into the wall _and was about to ram his idiotic looking hat up his ass,_ when he was suddenly blasted backwards through what had previously been a solid wall. He had his weapon nocked, drawn, and pointing at Cisco's creepily childlike face the moment they landed on the other side of the breach and it took considerable restraint not to engage, especially when every sinew in his body was itching to shoot both Cisco and whichever-Wells _multiple_ times.

Realising Cisco had breached them _somewhere,_ although he had no idea exactly where, inside the large Star Labs compound, he started walking away from him _before he did something Team Baby would regret! -_ Cisco, however, in an idiotic display of refusing to choose life, hurried along beside him yelling, ‘look Oliver man, HR is right. You need to stay away from Barry. I didn't have a problem with you and Barry hooking up at first, then I saw just how messed up he was physically from your magic, and if that wasn't bad enough, he froze then completely freaked out when you showed up. It was like he was afraid of you or something. So I gotta ask man, _what the hell did you do?’_

‘Whatever happened between me and Barry is between me and Barry’ He snapped in reply. ‘All you need to know is he has no reason to be afraid of me’.

Infuriatingly Cisco wouldn't leave it alone, trying the last of his limited patience as he scoffed, ‘yeah, what's to be afraid of? It's not like you shot him up with arrows -or are a masked vigilante with a reputation for John Wick levels of violence or anything’ 

‘If that's the case’ he growled, ‘ _you should know exactly what is going to happen to you if you keep talking to me like that’._

‘I'm not afraid of you’ Cisco yelled, flinching when he stopped walking and turned to stare him down, ‘I have powers!’

 _‘I. Don't. Care’._ he growled, ‘powers or not, if you don't take it down a notch, **_right now_** _,_ _you are going to get an arrow through you're chest’._ He might not kill him for Barry's sake, _but he would help him realise just how big a mistake he was making by confronting him._

‘Look Oliver’ Cisco placated, wisely backing up, watching his tone, and breaching them back to the part of Star Labs he'd been trying to get to in the first place as they landed in the control room. Unfortunately, whichever-Wells was in the room and started glaring at him again. _-Another candidate for an arrow through the chest._

‘All I'm saying’, Cisco went on as he ignored Cisco and glared back at Whichever-Wells wondering if he even realised just how close he was to getting shot. ‘What happened with you and Barry seemed harmless at first, especially since between you and me, Barry could have used a little something-something. I mean my boy was wound _tight._ But you're hookup _clearly_ went wrong, and you showing up here is just freaking him out on top of him still being affected by your magic. So now I'm telling you’, -Cisco put his palms up as he turned to glare at him-, ‘I mean _asking_ you to stay away from him. We have to figure out how to remove your magic from his system, which is going to be impossible if you keep contaminating him, and if I know Caitlin, and I do, she will go _full_ killer frost on you if you try to get anywhere near Barry before she cures and figures out a way to immunise him from you’.

‘I _want_ her to figure a way to help Barry’, he snapped. ‘That's why I made sure he told her about what happened’.

‘I get that. But you're here when you don't need to be, you could have called to check on him, and we're more than capable of training him without help. I guess I'm saying it's better you're not here. Be reasonable Oliver, you have to see that until we have a working vaccine, whatever did or does happen between you is less of a romance or hook-up and more of a magical roofi-ing, _and that's just not right._ I can't have that man. I gotta look out for him, that's what best friends do. -And He's more than my best friend, he's my brother from another mother’.

‘Really?’ He ground out, ‘ _so what exactly did I walk in on earlier? Incest?’_

‘You're way off base!’ Cisco was yelling when Barry came running into the room, rightfully worried he was about to start putting arrows through his dwarfish mouthy friend pushing his luck.

He supposed it was just fortunate he got Barry out of Star labs before Papa Bear Joe, who wasn't his biggest fan at the best of times, inevitably found out about him touching his precious Baby Bear and decided to use him for police target practice.

Thankfully training with Barry had been a success. Barry was fine. His head was on straight and he was back in the game.

He wished he could say the same about himself. -But if that were the case he would never have started that ill-advised make-out session with Barry on the roof.

_What the hell had he been thinking!_

-He hadn't been thinking, _that was the problem,_ and it was getting increasingly impossible to do _any_ rationale thinking around Barry. His instinct to claim what was his took over completely, and it became primal.

_See._

_Want._

**_Have._ **

_Damn it._ This was exactly why he'd stayed away in the first place. He'd known once he'd had him, **_claimed_** him, he wouldn't be able to let him go easily…

_If at all..._


	16. Murderer's Magic

God this was a mess. -Wait _how the hell was his phone ringing in here?_  Didn't he put the signal scrambler and Cell Jammer back on after Calling Caitlin? He did... So who? ... He stared at the caller ID on his supposedly untraceable cell phone. -Felicity. _Of course. ‘This had better be good’,_ he growled, ‘you know I don't want to be disturbed when I'm in-

-‘No time for how your cell jammer literally means nothing to a hacker who disabled it months ago _’_. -Don't give me that disappointed slash aggravated silence Oliver! I did what I could to make your _off the gird_ dream a reality. Even though it's totally unrealistic by the way. Still to help you out, so you can _feel_ off the grid even though you're, literally, right on it, I monitor your incoming calls when you're in your man-cave and make sure no one disturbs you unless it's an emergency, _which this is,_  -and I _would_ have bounced the message to that cute little code Green Arrow system you have rigged that you actually think works, but like I said we don't have time for that, -you need to get home. **_Now_** _’_. Felicity's voice was a hushed whisper. ‘I just got a call from Caitlin... or Killer frost judging by the tone _and we need to talk,_ And I mean before she comes up to Star City and tries to _**kill**_ you!’

 _‘I don't get it,_ after you and me talked this morning, I thought you were going to Central City to go get your man, boy, _whatever_. Instead, you're back here, alone, and brooding in your man-cave while Caitlin is on the Killer Frost warpath for your head. And I hear Cisco is planning on disappearing you and making Barry forget you existed, _and he could, **never underestimate a genius whose mind has turned to murder. -**_ Better yet, _never get them murderous in the first place! ‘-_ And it goes without _saying_ that Dr Wells version is planning something evil because, hello? _That_ face. I Don't trust it no matter which doppelganger it's on, not after what happened with him being an evil time-traveller wearing that face like some Creepy disguise, like the guy in that Hannibal Lechter movie trying to make a suit out of people, you know, the _“it puts the lotion in the basket guy”,_ **_god I hate horror movies,_ ** I have enough horror to deal with in my real life-

 _‘Felicity-_  

 _‘Don't Felicity me! **What the hell happened in Central Ciy?!**  -How did you manage to piss of the entire Team? -_You know what, tell me about it when you get here, oh and um I hate to say this, but detective West is, well he's here at your place, with me’.

‘He's _what?’_

 _‘I had no choice’_ she whispered urgently, ‘Wally sped him up here as I was heading up here and I already had the door open and now here we all are... waiting for you. So just _hurry’_.

Click

 _Great._ Just what he needed. _Why the hell hadn't she led with that!_

He moved quickly, locking things away, resetting the system, and resigning himself to the fact privacy was a myth when your teammate slash ex was an elite world class hacker codenamed Overwatch.

He headed home and took a deep breath resigning himself to what was coming as he opened the door.

‘Detective West- He took the first punch to the jaw and the second and the third. Just to get it over with he let himself go down on the 4th by which point Felicity was literally hanging off Joe's arm trying to hold him back and Wally who clearly hadn't been briefed on the situation snapped out of having his mouth open in shock speeding Joe to the nearest wall.

‘Dad, dad. Calm down. What's wrong? Why are you hitting Oliver?’

Joe held up his hand in an age-old parental gesture that said _be quiet the adults are talking._

Wally looked wide-eyed and confused as Joe walked over to him and hauled him to his feet.

‘I'm gonna say this to you once. _Stay **away** from my son’._

‘Dad! If this is about me speeding Oliver to Central City to train Barry-

-‘If you **_ever_** touch him again!’ Joe snarled as if Wally hadn't spoken.

‘Whoa, dad, you got this all wrong! he never -oh wait do you mean Barry? _Wait Oliver and **Barry**?! _ I don't-

-‘Joe please’ Felicity interjected desperately, ‘it's not what you think. Oliver cares about Barry he would never do anything to-

‘He already has!’ Joe rounded on Felicity who was hanging off his arm again as she let go and backed away. ‘Oliver is a vigilante killer that we _tolerate_ because he's another City's police jurisdiction and problem, and because Barry actually thinks Oliver's some kind of a hero, _well he's not._ I told Oliver to stay away from Barry when I first met him **_and I meant it_** _’._

‘Now I hear from Caitlin _and_ Killer Frost, not to mention, HR and Cisco, that he came here upset last night, in a mess needing help and your so-called hero friend took advantage of him’.

‘No, no, that's not what happened Joe’ Felicity pleaded, ‘ _It's not._ They were together consensually it wasn't like that’.

‘Felicity. I appreciate you speaking up for me, but I got this. Can you and Wally give us the room?’

‘No way man’. Wally snapped. ‘I wanna hear what you did to my brother! Is that why he's been such a mess lately, because of you? -I thought you and me were cool man. I thought _you_ were cool. _If you hurt him I will find a way to make you pay’._

‘Wally. I promise you I did not and would never do anything to hurt Barry intentionally’.

‘What the hell is that supposed to mean!’ Wally shouted.

‘Wallace’. Joe's tone was finite. ‘Wait outside with Felicity. I need to talk to Oliver’.

Wally hesitated visibly upset and Felicity put her arm on his shoulder and gently steered him outside, closing the door behind her before shooting him a look that he thought said _hang in there._

She was uncharacteristically silent, _which was just disturbing._

Joe walked over to the counter and lent on it his head bent, clearly trying to control his temper. It was just as well he'd cleaned up when Felicity had ambushed him this morning before he had Wally take him to Star City, -because Pancakes, spilt maple syrup, and sticky handprints everywhere might have made it obvious that he'd had sex with Barry on that very same counter.

‘Oliver’. Joe's voice was quiet, his tone sombre. ‘My children, all 3 of them live in a dangerous world. Iris runs our team, -and I'm actually glad she's away right now, God knows what she's going to think and feel about this when she's back from assignment. And Wally... he's pretty sheltered despite his attempts to be a bad ass. Francine kept him close and she raised him right, and he's a good boy, one that sadly looked up to you, just like Barry. I love all of my children and as their father, I do everything I can to protect them’. Joe straightened up and glared at him. _From people like you’._

‘You're _worse_ than the criminals and Metas endangering their lives because you're not just dangerous to be around physically, you're a corrupting influence, a poison that _infects_ the soul. Take your friend Felicity. Just look at what has happened to her life since she met you. Diggle, Roy, Your own sister Thea.

‘You _corrupt_ people Oliver, you drag them into your orbit, you take the goodness in them and twist it until they look more like you on the inside. I don't even think you can help yourself, _it's what you do’._

__

‘There is something wrong with you something broken. You know what, no, it’s worse than that, Broken things can be fixed one way or another. You can't be fixed because you're not broken. _You are what you are’._

‘A monster’ he murmured softly.

‘You're Damn right'. This isn't about you being a killer. I've been a cop longer than my kids have been alive. I've killed as part of my job to protect people and in self-defence. -But you Oliver Queen are a _murderer_.

‘I know’.

‘Worse than that, you make it seem like what you're doing is heroic. It's not. I've looked into your past I know all about you being a captain in the Russian mob. _A captain._ I know you got there through torture and murder’.

‘I never wanted you to be a part of Barry's life, that's no secret, but the thing about kids is the more you try to forbid something the more they want it. So I tried to let him see for himself what kind of man you are. But Barry's natural instinct is to trust even though he fights it now after everything it's still there. -He doesn't see the monster the rest of us do when he looks at you. He sees a big brother, a hero. So when he was at his most vulnerable he came to you. Because he didn't want to worry us, his family the people he should come to. He thought he couldn't tell us he was worried about turning out like Thawne and Zoom’.

 _‘Cisco said he actually asked you to kill him._  Barry was _that_ desperate _that_ low. And what did you do? Did you call me, his father, to come pick him up and talk some sense into him? Did you call Iris? Wally? Cisco?’ No. You took him to bed, while he was in that state, that frame of mind. **_What is actually wrong with you?_** _Are you so sick and twisted inside that you can't see how wrong that was?!’_

‘I told you. - _I told you to your face_ that Barry hero worships you. So you _knew_ you could take advantage and that's exactly what you did’.

‘You know all the years in this job I've met a few others like you. Not a lot but a few. Smooth', good-looking, all-American 1 percenters. I don't know if it's growing up in that life oblivious to the pain of others or what. But it does something. Makes them _wrong_ somehow. Turns them into people like you. Predators hunting behind pretty faces.

But even before escaping that Island and turning yourself into a dangerous killer with a borderline split personality there was something not _right_ about you. -I mean you were supposed to love Quinten Lance's Daughter, Laurel, right? -But you betrayed her about as cruelly as you could by seducing her younger sister who was barely a kid. I hear at the same time you also slept with and got another very innocent young girl pregnant’.

‘To hear Quinten tell it Laurel trusted you completely and you nearly destroyed both his daughter's relationship with each other and almost  tore his family apart. He says you're changed now or at least a better man but after what you did to my son I don't buy it’.

‘It's a pattern with you, or do you really not see it? You prey on innocence, like with Laurel, naiveté like with Sara, attraction to you like with Felicity, nobility like with Diggle. Qualities the part of your personality that wants to see himself as better wants to emulate because you know they are just _missing_ in you. -And my son. My Barry, he's all those things, innocent, naive, drawn to you, noble. -So when he came to you and asked for your help, you just couldn't resist taking what I _know_ you've wanted for a long time, because you're not as slick as you think you are Queen. _Not to this old cop’._

‘So let me lay this out for you straight. When I called my son in to talk to me about why Frost had smashed up Caitlin's lab in a rage. Why HR and Cisco were angrier than I've ever seen them. He came in the room _unable to look me in the eyes._ _You_ did that to him, _you_ made him ashamed. You made a spectacle of him. He's _still_ stinking of that god-awful cologne of yours that no matter what Cisco tries to make to remove it won't come off. And do not, **_DO NOT_** get me started on the bite mark. He wouldn't show me at first but when he did _I wanted to kill you, Queen’._

‘You did all of that to Barry _because_ _you could._ You marked him out as a piece of property you own because you're _entitled_. Because you think you can have anything and anyone you want because You're Oliver Queen Mayor of Star City.

But you're not just that, no, you're at least 3 different vigilante killers.

‘You're an ex Argus Assasin. Bratva captain, and head of the goddamn League of Assassins!  _-And now you're a someone _who I'm being told infected my son with magic of all things!’__

‘So what you're a damn sorcerer now on top of everything else? The new Damien Dhark? Who can blame me for not wanting Barry to have anything to do with you? _What father in his right mind would want their child involved with someone like **you**?!’ _

‘I thought about what I should do to protect Barry from you. Should I just shoot your ass? I mean you might be tough but those scars all over your body, that Barry and everyone else thinks makes you such a badass might prove your tough, but they also prove you sure as hell aren't bulletproof. -I swear I was halfway to loading an unregistered gun when I realised you've been shot before, you've been stabbed, whipped, burned. Pain doesn't work on someone like you. It wouldn't make you stay away if you didn't want to’.

‘So I thought Blackmail? _Force_ you to stay away. -A lot of people, even right here in your own city suspect you're the Green Arrow. Should I publicly Confirm it and leek the stuff about you being a Bratva captain for good measure? But if I did that, I'd be putting your family at risk, and what kind of example would I be setting for Barry?’

‘So I've come to do the only thing I can do and appeal to whatever little part of you is still human’.

‘Oliver, there are literally billions of people on this planet, and some of them are even like you. Super rich and completely messed up. _Have one of them._ You have power, looks, money, influence. You can pretty much have any man or woman you want. _But you can't have my son’._

‘Let him go. _Don't ruin his life, **please** _ He's just a kid. A good kid. My kid. And he deserves so much better than you’.

‘Please. I'm asking you, if there is any tiny bit of decency left inside you, then you will not do this to him. You will not drag him down the into the dark violent world you live in. You won't corrupt him like you do everything and everyone else’.

‘I've watched that boy go through so much. Watching both his parents killed in front of him. The betrayal by Thawne and Zoom and _still_ he's kept his fundamental goodness _because that’s who he is’._

‘Even growing up Barry was never one of those kids I had to worry too much would go off the rails, I mean he wasn't perfect, but he was fundamentally a good boy, always has been.

And I realised on the way over here. I've never really been afraid someone could take that away from him until you’.

‘I'm scared to death of what you will do to him because darkness death and corruption are all you have to offer, and all I can do is appeal to you as a man and a father and say please, please _don't do this to my son, don't do this to Barry._ Walk away and **_stay_** away. _I'm **begging** you’._


	17. Much Ado About Magic

‘Well that was brutal’.

He hadn't even heard Felicity come back in the room. He was preoccupied with remembering the combination of hurt, anger, disgust and betrayal, in Wally's eyes when he realised what was going on, and the pleading in Joe's voice when he'd begged him to walk away from Barry.

Such a proud man reduced to _literally **begging** _ him not to date his son... _**that** was the reaction he bought out in parents. _

Look what Joe said is-

-‘Absolutely true every word’.

‘But-

-‘Felicity, I can't argue with a father being scared for his son's future, because he thinks he won't have one if he's with me. Joe has every right to be angry I **never** should have touched Barry when he was in that mindset’.

_He'd known it was wrong at the time._

He remembered thinking there was something **dark** in the way he was attracted to Barry’s innocence, that _it was like defiling an Angel,_ before his thoughts became a heated primal blur of, _ravage, pillage, conquer, claim._ Until his mind was fixated on having his scent on Barry's skin and his bite on his neck last for hours after he'd had him _so Barry would know he'd been **thoroughly** claimed-_

-‘Oliver?’

‘Felicity. I just need some time to think okay’.

‘Well, since everything has got all heavy and emotional. I'm gonna do what the tough do in these circumstances and go get a stiff drink. Think I'll go to the place down the street that serves that rich foamy hot chocolate with the fancy coconut milk and man-up with a caramel syrup shot. God knows I could sure use some sweet tasty distraction right about now and so could you, so I'll bring you back a cup’.

‘Felicity I don't-

_-‘Oliver, you're getting hot chocolate and that is final!’_ -She grabbed his arms tugging him towards her as she went on tiptoe, ‘You're also getting this hug whether you like it or not, so suck it up and hug me back like you need it, _which you do’._

You may also, possibly, get more hugs and a blanket with your hot chocolate, because what Joe _said_ to you was even _more_ brutal than when he was punching you in the face a bazillion times’.

‘It was four times Felicity, _four,_ not a bazillion, and you know damn well I _let_ him take me down on the fourth’.

‘I know tough guy, you literally take the worlds most unconvincing fall. When you took that, _-I'm going down because you, good sir, have bested me-_ knee, it might have been more convincing if your hands weren't clenched into fists, and you didn't have your, _if you hit me one more time I'm going to kill you,_ murder face on. I know it must have been hard to just let him whale on you like that. You want me to get you an ice-pack for... 

your pride, as well as your face?’ 

‘My pride is fine, and it's just a couple of scrapes, I think I'll live Felicity’.

‘Seriously? The ice-pack isn't optional tough guy! You think I'm actually going to stand here and watch bruises swell and mess with that face?!’ She wandered off and was back in a few moments, gently pressing ice cubes wrapped in a soft cotton T-shirt to the side of his face.

‘I know why you didn't fight back Oliver’ she murmured, the warmth of her affectionately squeezing his arm opposite to the dull sting of cold ice against his bruised face. ‘And for what it's worth I'm proud of you for not putting an arrow in your boyfriend's dad or any of Team Flash for that matter. -You know, you've really matured since I met you. I remember a time when you'd put an arrow through the calf of pretty much _anyone_ you had a problem with, especially if they gave you lip, whether they were in the right or not. Well Mr Queen, look at you, renouncing your -shoot-first and beat answers to questions out of people later- ways for love, _so damn squee-worthy’._

‘I'm not _renouncing_ anything Felicity. Joe as Barry's dad and Cisco and Caitlin as his doctors and best friends got a pass today, _but that's today._ It won't end well if they keep pushing me in future. As for that Wells, whichever one he is, I don't know him and he has nothing to do with this. If he mouths off to me one more time _I am going to use him for target practice._ -And don't start with that squee thing again. I got enough of that when you barged in here this morning and figured out I slept with Barry’. 

‘It's not _barging_ when your friend, who is also the Mayor no-shows for his morning meetings and isn't answering his phone, and that usually means one of his two jobs has either got him kidnapped, or ambushed, or forcibly conscripted into the league of assassins. -And squeeing, which is a proven medical condition by the way, is the high pitched noise _any_ fangirl worth her salt instinctively emits at just the _thought_ of too beautiful men together. Also, FYI as it pertains to you and Barry, Squeeing is bound to rise in pitch and intensity if the OTP has one man who is epically handsome and taller or bigger and one who is epically cute and adorable and smaller or shorter’. 

‘... Felicity, I don't understand anything you just said, and I'm pretty sure I don't care because it sounds ridiculous’. 

‘Fine. Don't get it. Your loss. So long as you induce the squees that's what's matters. -Also, FYI, pancakes and 10 CCs of medical grade maple syrup is the only known way to stop squeeing’.

‘How could you even _eat_ more pancakes after the mountain you inhaled this morning? I'm beginning to think you and Barry have bottomless stomachs’.

‘I think I can speak for both me and Barry and say when it comes to your pancakes, no argument’.

‘Barry is a speedster he _has_ to eat a lot to keep running’.

‘Yep, and my meta-brain _needs_ constant fuel to keep running, although, sadly that means constant running, well power-treadmill-walking in the gym, because I can't burn it off the way Barry does. But it's a small price to pay. And now that it's been established I don't have to put out to get your pancakes anymore, breakfast is looking up for the foreseeable future’ Felicity grinned at him.

‘I never agreed to that’.

Felicity's brows rose and someone who didn't know her as well as he did might have missed the mischief behind her shocked expression. ‘Oliver Queen! Are you going back to your old playboy ways? -Because I refuse to play sister-wife. I won't help you cheat on poor Barry even for a lifetime supply of your pancakes... well _maybe_ for a _lifetime_ supply, _but I won't be happy about it!’._

‘Sister _wife?_ -Are you insane? And I'm not going back to my old...’, he sighed and shook his head wearily. ‘I meant I never agreed to make you endless pancakes on demand, _because I'm not your personal chef Felicity’._

‘Agree to disagree. -Although you _not_ agreeing to make me breakfast for the next ever as a thank you for encouraging you to go after Barry this morning is not my recollection of events at all’.

‘Felicity, I can't believe you're-

-‘Exploiting the tragedies in your love life to get free food?’

‘I was going to say, not currently dead from sugar overdose since you practically drank a bottle of blueberry syrup this morning, but yes’.

‘We're friends Oliver. Former lovers who are now best friends are there for each other in times of crisis. Just because I also recognise that your world class pancake batter is the scrumptious glue that holds this friendship together doesn't mean I'm exploiting your personal man-pain... per se’.

He just looked at her, _because what could he even say at this point?_

‘Okay, so you're giving me that look. _Fine._ You're right Oliver, we can discuss how you're wrong to think you making me pancakes right now wouldn't help the current situation later. -I'll be back in a while with a soothing, some might even say balm-like beverage, and now that you mention it some replacement syrup... And flour, and um butter? -You know what just text me a list. I'm perfectly happy to supply more ingredients so you can do your magic. God only knows what would happen if I tried to use them. Well we do know, little burnt lumps of tar, that's what happens’. Felicity sighed. ‘Brains I was blessed with, the ability to cook, not so much. Oh well, pluses and minuses. That's life. One giant math equation’.

‘I'll be back. God, Arnie has _ruined_ that, now I feel I have to say it with an accent! Don't brood too hard while I'm gone okay. Just remember, Joe is only looking at things from one perspective, a dad protecting his son. I know you get that, but remember Barry is an adult, he can decide for himself who he wants to be with, if he chooses you no one else has the right to interfere. -Besides, you can't just call it quits because his dad objects. If everyone did that the world's great romances would have ended before they even started. And I happen to think you and Barry could really have one of those _epic_ romances, -if you ever figure out _how_ to be romantic with him that is, never mind we'll work on that later, my point is, you both get to decide if you want to be together. Don't let allowing Joe to repeatedly punch your face make you forget it’.

She patted his arm and left.

Felicitys craziness had lightened his mood a little. But he was still worried about Barry, Things had obviously imploded at Star Labs when Barry returned, and since he'd seen how embarrassed he'd looked when he realised he was going to have to explain what happened to Caitlin, he could imagine explaining to Joe must have been hell.

_He should have been with him._ If anyone should have faced Joe it should have been him, not least of all because it was his inadvertently marking Barry with magic that made it obvious to everyone they'd slept together.

It was wishful thinking to hope everything had settled down so soon, what with Cisco and whichever Wells trying to run him out of town. Caitlin still in a Killer Frost rage, and his jaw still aching from Joe's impressive right hook.

Damn it. This was spinning out of control. He should have ignored Team Baby's assorted rage and had Barry bring him back to Star Labs after training him instead of letting him go back alone. Not that he'd had much of a choice, Barry had literally vanished after they kissed, but he could have called him back, or called Wally, who hadn't been mad at him at that point, -and always up for competing with Barry's run times between Central and Star City with a passenger, would have been happy to bring him to Star Labs like he had earlier.

... Was Barry alright?

He took out his phone and scrolled through his messages. None from Barry. That wasn't a good sign. Barry was always messaging him, and since he could do it at super speed, there were usually a _lot_ of texts from him.

It used to annoy him, because for him texts were a way to send addresses not talk, _that was what phone calls were invented for._ But he'd got used to it with Barry and maybe even liked it now because it made him feel he was a part of Barry's life even though they lived in different cities and he couldn't be with him. He'd even grown to not hate it when Barry texted him at odd hours of the morning knowing he'd probably be up, like a few weeks ago when he'd messaged him the ridiculous question:

Hey Ollie, would you rather fight 100 duck sized horses or one horse sized dick? 




Oh my god auto correct! -I meant duck! DUCK! 🦆 😲 




Even though a second earlier he'd been frustrated as hell reading through evidence felicity uncovered about a new designer drug flooding the glades, he'd actually burst out laughing, replying:

It's 3 o'clock in the morning Barry, put down the Internet and go to bed you idiot! -And FYI I'd fight the horse sized duck or dick, whichever. A single target is always easier to take down. NOW GO TO SLEEP already. 




Barry sent him the laughing and sleepy emoji in reply and he hadn't been able to help the smile on his face, even though anyone else texting him at that hour, with a question that ridiculous, would never even _dream_ of doing it again by the time he’d finished with them. 

He decided to stop worrying about what might be happening with Barry over at Star Labs and just message him and find out.

B, are you okay?




Yeah fine. Why?




Joe was here. 




Sounds like things got even crazier when you got back to the Lab? 




😨😰 Oh my god, are YOU okay?! I told Wally not to bring Joe to Star City at least until he calmed down! They're both here now, I didn't even realise they'd gone or I would have gone chasing after them while calling to warn you in case I didn't make it in time! -ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!! 




I'm fine. 




Fine as in the bullet missed your lung or... 




Fine as in no shots fired. 




... 🤔 Not sure I believe you Ollie. 




If I tell you he punched me in the jaw a few times will you believe I'm not gunshot over here? 




...Maybe. -Are you okay? 




I'm fine. - And I'm texting to check on you not talk about me. I'm sorry you had to face your dad alone. I should have been with you. 




It's better you weren't. I think he really, might have actually shot you if you were.




Emotions are running high over here and I'm guessing you already know this but you should probably stay away from Joe for a while.




And Caitlin...




And Cisco... And HR




So just your entire Team? 




... Yeah, kinda. Sorry.




It's not your fault




-Hold on I have a call coming in.




No problem.




He checked his phone, there was no caller ID. ‘Who is this?’ He barked, ‘why should I care, _and how the hell did you get this number?’_

 _‘ **You selfish bastard!!!**_ _How **DARE** you do that to Barry?!’_

‘Hello Iris’ he sighed.

 _‘ **Go to hell Oliver!** -_ You're just lucky my dad didn't shoot you, which he should have, and get this straight if you try anything else with Barry he won't have to, **_because I will!_** _’_

‘Iris. I have had enough of being threatened by people with the last name West today. Whatever happened between Barry and me is our business and-

-‘ _Whatever happened?! Are you kidding me!_ Barry trusted you and you _used_ him, **_that's_** _what **happened!**_ And we're his _family,_ if somebody hurts him it _is_ our business _you son of a-’_

-‘Iris that's not what hap-

-‘So Caitlin, Killer Frost and HR are all what, just _lying?_ -And Barry _wasn't_ a mess when he came to see you? And you _didn't_ take advantage of him when he was vulnerable? - _Yeah, that's what I thought!_ You know, if you were _actually_ his friend, or even a decent human being, you would have tried to help him, or at the very least called one of us so Wally could bring us to pick him up. -And I don't care what Barry is saying after the fact about it supposedly being consensual. It's because he can't or doesn't want to face the truth. He looked up to you and he trusted you _and you took advantage of him!’_

‘And let's get one thing clear, you and I have _very_ different definitions of consent, because even if it had been Barry's idea, _which I don't believe it was for a second,_ he clearly wasn't in any fit state to make that kind of decision _and you knew it!_ I suppose you're going to tell me Barry also consented to you drugging him with magic and branding him like an animal, or even knew that was a possibility! -No. You know what, _I'm not going to do this with you Oliver._ What you did to Barry was wrong and it should never have happened. I guess my dad's right and you really are too twisted to realise that, _but that's your problem!_ ’

-‘And believe me, you haven't _begun_ to see threats from the West family, which happens to have a cop, a reporter, and _two_ speedsters in it! Meaning, finding yourself sped to central city so my dad can arrest you for your laundry list of state,federal, and international crimes, all made very public in a damning article written by me. -Then, because rotting in jail is too good for you, having your worthless ass sped from your holding cell to the middle of the ocean _and fed to a shark, so no one ever finds your body,_ is your immediate future if you touch Barry again, and that is not a threat _Mr Queen,_ **that** is a promise. _**So stay away!** ’_

Click.

Great. _Things with Team Baby were just getting better and better._

I'm back. That was Iris.




... Oh... sorry. I meant to tell you she was back and... not happy.




It's okay, she managed to tell me herself.




Oliver. I know your super tough and everything, so you're probably not bothered, but I'm kinda worried we started an Inter-team incident!




Everyone over here is really mad, and I've been trying to tell them you didn't take advantage of me, that it just happened and neither of us were expecting the magic, but I can't get them to believe you didn't do anything wrong!




And let me guess, they're discussing imaginative ways to kill me?




I'm guessing Felicity told you? Apparently she and Killer Frost had words about you, and well, I want to say no one over here is plotting your demise, and that's ridiculous, but sadly I can't because earlier HR actually asked Wally if he could travel back in time and prevent your conception without it affecting the timeline, and he didn't sound like he was kidding...




So... Stay away from you, your team, and your city in general?




... Well. Just until this blows over and everyone calms down.




😲 OH MY GOD! HR is literally saying he's prepared a PowerPoint presentation on safe sex because he overheard Caitlin yelling at me about it.




Yeah right, I bet "overheard" means he left one if his stupid recording devices in the lab. He's always leaving them everywhere and swearing it's because he's forgetful!




😲 😱 Now he's saying the reason you were able to endanger my health by pressuring me into unprotected sex was because I'm a sheltered, impressionable teenaged boy who wasn't up to defending myself from a -Oh my god, he actually just used the word lothario! What century does he think this is!




And just HOW MANY TIMES do I have to tell HR I'm NOT a teenager today before he starts to listen?! 😦☹




Great. Now he's actually asking Joe to arrest you for endangering me!




Now everyone's yelling...




Oh. Right. Nobody but Caitlin knew about that part until now...




I can't believe HR went and blabbed!




Alright Oliver, this has literally gone nuclear. -Whatever you do, DON'T COME TO STAR LABS!




I'm sorry everyone wants to kill you, this is all my fault, I should have explained better, made them understand what happened with the magic was an accident!




About that, we should talk.




Okay 🤔 ?




Wait a sec... 




Sure 




OH MY GOD! HR is actually trying to rig up the projector for his stupid safe sex presentation. 😨 I'VE GOT TO STOP HIM! 😓 -And I guess since everyone's here I better try again at getting them to calm down and actually believe me when I'm saying you didn't do anything wrong!




-I'm really sorry about everything Oliver.




OH MY GOD HR HAS MADE PAMPHLETS AND HE'S HANDING THEM OUT!!!  
😲




HE HAS TO BE STOPPED! 😡




Gotta go. Sorry.




You don't have to keep apologising to me Barry. None of this is your fault.




... No reply.

He could just imagine the pandemonium Barry was having to deal with over there. He wanted to be with Barry to support... -no him being there would just make things worse, what he actually wanted to do was bring Barry to Star City, away from the family tension. ... **Permanently**.

I know your busy right now Barry, but when you get round to reading this message later:




You have nothing to be sorry for. I understand why your family are angry with me.




About the magic. As soon as I figured out what happened, I had to tell your doctor in case it affected your medical treatment. But Caitlin had apparently already figured it out and got so mad when I called that Killer Frost emerged and told me to get dead. ... Maybe I should have taken a page out of your book and texted. 




Anyway, I'm sorry me calling and her going into a rage added to the crazy at the Lab. Just remember if things get too intense over there you're always welcome to come stay here for a bit.




He put his phone away and could just imagine how Barry staying with him would go over with Team baby and Joe in particular.

 _You corrupt people, it's a pattern with you or don't you see that?_ Joe had said to him. ... _Maybe Joe was right._ In a lot of ways he _was_ repeating what had happened with him and Laurel now he thought about it.

Quentin hadn't wanted him dating Laurel from the outset. He'd asked him why once, when things were better between them, before Laurel died. He'd seemed reluctant to answer for a moment, as if he didn't think he'd like hearing what he was going to say.

Then he'd replied, ‘there was something in your eyes I just didn't like Queen is that what you want me to say? Well the truth is it wasn't anything you said or did, not at first anyway, it was instinct, a cop instinct that you get from being around dangerous, messed up people. You learn to spot them no matter how well they're hiding who they are, even from themselves, because you _have_ to, your survival and your ability to do your job and protect innocent people depends on it, -and you Oliver, I knew it the moment I first met you, right in my gut, I knew you were as messed up and dangerous as they come and I didn't want you anywhere near my family’.

_Joe had pretty much said the same thing to him back when they'd first met._

Quentin and Joe. Both cop-dads whose instincts said he was dangerous, and to protect the people they loved from him.

Coincidence? - ** _Unlikely_** _._

And now that he thought more about it, Laurel and Barry both having overprotective cop dads, were not where the similarities ended.

He probably should have seen it sooner. How they both chose to work in law enforcement because they wanted to help people, and when presented with powers they both chose to use them for good. How they were both subtly beautiful on the outside in a way that drew you in and kept you there, and how that was more than matched by how good they were on the inside. And how they both seemed to _trust_ him in the same inexplicably deep way that he still didn't know what he'd done to deserve. And how that trust hadn't wavered despite their fathers warning them against him.

Not that he could blame Quentin and Joe with hindsight. They just wanted to protect the people close to them. They saw him as a predator and as seasoned cops, they knew all to well that predators _liked_ to be trusted. That using a disguise, pretending to be one of the herd like the old adage about a wolf in sheep's clothing, fooled the prey into trusting the predator so it could move around them freely without raising alarm while waiting for the opportune moment to strike. By the time the prey realised a predator disguised as one of their own, _it was too late._

And that was how Joe saw him, as a dangerous predator he had to protect Barry from before it was too late.

...To a larger degree than he'd been able to recognise before accepting he was a killer, he did take on board that he was, in part, a predator. It came with the job description as both a vigilante and a former assassin.

-But Predators didn't just kill, they were also fiercely protective of what they considered theirs and to the predatory part of him, Barry was **_his_** _._ That was why he'd tried to protect him, even from himself by keeping his distance, and not even allowing himself so much as a kiss, _and it hadn't been easy..._

It had already been next to impossible to let Barry go back to Star Labs this morning thinking things were just casual between them... And it had been harder still on the rooftop. Not that he'd had much of a choice. Barry literally ran back home. But if he'd had a choice...

And now after what had happened, it would be close to impossible not to want to claim him every time he was around him.

He sighed wearily. This whole thing was a mess ... and yet his thoughts were drifting back to the last thing he should be thinking about right now, - _what had happened between them this morning._ Before anyone else knew about them.

**_Before everything went to hell..._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The horse sized dick joke happened because I was typing duck and my autocorrect changed it to dick. -Normally this will not happen, duck would be the preferred word, but the software is programmed to learn your writing style, meaning it calculated I will type the word dick, a high enough percentage of the time, that it can just go ahead and assume that I made a mistake when I typed duck and just change it to dick instead. Obviously, that says a lot about me! 😮😏
> 
> 😉😂 I thought it was funny when it happened so I included it in the chapter... 😅
> 
> Wait I literally just thought of something, wouldn't that mean Barry also types the word dick instead of duck enough to make his autocorrect assume that's what he meant?!
> 
> But now I want to know who he's typing the word dick too! Can we assume it's Oliver in some sexual way? ... No! Our cute adorable Barry would never! ... Okay, let's just assume he's calling someone who deserves it, like some jerk at the CCPD a dick and he's often telling Oliver about it... phew, problem solved. 😂
> 
> curiobi **@ ~.~@**


	18. The Magic After The Night Before Part 2

The damn counter was too narrow, and they were sliding up it with every thrust, and why had he thought trying to do this here was a good idea again? … Right, _he hadn't been thinking,_ he'd literally just thrown Barry on the nearest available surface.

He kissed Barry hard, picking him up, unable to stop devouring the sweet taste of syrup from his lips as he got them off the counter holding Barry tight and staying inside him while considering having him right there on the damn floor, because he couldn't wait long enough to take him to the bedroom. -but there were pancakes and spilled Maple syrup all over the floor, and the way Barry was jostling in his arms and gasping was too much to take without moving. _Standing up it was._

 _‘You're going to get it right here’_ he growled hoisting Barry up in his arms, kissing and ramming him down on him as Barry screamed out _‘ **oh my GOD Oliver** ’-_

_-‘I'm going to make you **feel** it Barry’, _ he growled, kissing and biting the base of Barry's neck while working him up and down on his length making Barry cry out louder and louder for him. ‘God, _you're taking **all** of it’_ he seethed against Barry's throat ramming him down on him harder, ‘ _feels so damn good’._

‘Too much’, Barry was sobbing

 _‘Tell me it feels good’_ he seethed, _‘ **I want you to tell me you like it** ’._

‘Ah god, too deep, please Oliver _**please!** ’ _

Barry's cries were getting frantic in a way that said he was pushing him too hard, so he slowed down, kissing him and growling ‘Do you want me to stop?’ against his lips.

_‘God please it's too much, I can't, **I can't** \- _

-‘Sh, sh’ he soothed at Barry's garbled desperate response, ‘it's alright, _I’ll stop’._

He lifted Barry off him slowly, holding him tight against his body until his feet were on the floor.

‘Sorry’, Barry backed away from him, ‘that was, that was um, … _intense,_ doing it like that, I-

-Barry's back hit the kitchen counter, as he was stalking Barry, advancing as Barry backed up. ‘Come here’ he growled, slamming Barry up against him, everything an intense blur of heated kisses, stroking, touching, tasting, _until his control was at it's limit_ and he was turning Barry around, bending him over the kitchen counter and driving into him hard, his strong hands at Barry's hips pulling him back as he was thrusting into him.

‘I always feel like I can tell you anything Barry’, he growled, his voice rough and low as he slowed down, Barry's loud cries turning into strangled sobs in the back of his throat as he started stroking him slowly, his fist tight around him. ‘So even though I'm not one for confession I'm going to confess I've been having these _fantasies_ about you’. He stroked him harder, his other hand sliding around his hip to his waist, holding him tight against him as he was grinding deep inside him in hard circles making Barry whimper and sob for him, as he kissed the side of Barry's face, his mouth at his ear, his voice dropping a deep octave as he murmured, ‘There's this one fantasy in particular I can't stop thinking about lately. -You're my innocent intern and you come into my office where I'm working late, the summer sun is setting in a riot of heat and colour putting streaks of red in your dark hair and lighting up the flecks of gold in your eyes, and I can't help staring at you, _wanting_ you as you ask me earnestly-

_-“Is there anything else I can do for you before I go home for the evening Mr Queen?”_

\- And I say _“As a matter of fact, there is”._

-‘Because all the holding back because we work together, all the restraining myself because I'm supposed to be mentoring you, finally becomes too much, and I lock the door, pull you up against me, _and kiss the hell out of you,_ until we're both out of breath, until your knees are buckling, which is just as well because you've got me so damn hard I'm pushing you to your knees, _and you want it,_ you're unziping me and taking _all_ of it, and you look so damn beautiful with me in your mouth that I don't last, and you swallow it all down looking up at me the whole time’.

_-‘And it makes me **crazy** , _ makes me want to make you come so badly I strip you naked and suck you good and hard until you're coming and crying out my name, and tasting you, drinking you down, has me hard again, and I ask if you want it, and the moment you say yes, I sweep everything off my desk and take you right there, with my hand clamped over your mouth forcing you to be quiet because the politicians, the press, and my constituents, they might have all gone home but security is still in the building while I'm locked inside my office buried deep inside you, just _having_ you until neither of us can take it anymore, and god, looking into your eyes while I'm coming inside you and you're coming _so hard_ for me _finishes_ me each time I think about it’.

He pulled Barry up against him so they were both standing, his hard chest pressed against Barry's back, thrusting into him savagely hard and fast, because Barry was driving him crazy and he couldn't last any longer as he was gripping Barry's jaw and tilting his head back so he could take his mouth, his climax hitting him ferociously hard, sparking through him almost violently as his seed was racing into Barry, his whole body shuddering, tingling and raw with intense electrical bolts of sensations.

Barry was shaking and sobbing his name and just _crumpled_ against him. He pulled out of him and spun him around concerned. Barry was wobbly on his strong speedster legs and fell forward into his arms as he closed them around him, holding him about to ask him what was wrong-

-‘What you said before’, Barry mumbled his voice muffled against his chest ‘about what you want to do to me in your office, I would tooootaly do that for you Oliver, heck I'd do anything for you, do you know that?’

 _That tone again,_ happy _- **drunk**._

But how? He hadn't even felt the magic this time, had it somehow happened without him noticing or was the magic still affecting Barry from before?

‘ _Damn._ Yooouuure hot’, Barry slurred, looking up and staring like he'd never seen him before. ‘I mean did anyone ever tell you that? I bet everyone's _always_ telling you that! And lemmee tell you, they ain't lying, nope, You have like _seriously_ **_beautiful_** eyes, and your hairs like perfect all the time, -you know Felicity showed me these pics of you where your hair was all longer and golden and I thought _wow,_ and now when it's darker and shorter it's still like wow, and your body, I mean the scars are... wait it's wrong to say they're hot right? I mean sexy? because you got hurt to get them, so its weird that they look hot on you right? But you're just like soooo strong, that Salmon ladder thing, I can only do it cus I'm fast enough to run up a building, you can just do it cus you're badass strong, and you're **_hot_** , did I mention that, did anyone ever like _tell_ you that? -And you look good in a suit too, I mean **_damn_** _good_ , I kinda look like a kid playing dress up in a suit, no no its okay, I know it, but not you noooo, you look really _hot_ in a suit, I'm just saying, -um _do you have any food around here?’_

Barry was yawning and snuggling into his chest like some kind of elongated cat as opposed to a speedster with god-like powers, _and there was no reason he could think of that it should be getting him hard for Barry,_ despite their both being naked, except.... **Damn it he had to face facts!** Somewhere between wanting and then having him, Barry being adorable had become dick-hardening sexy, _and that was going to be a problem anyway he looked at it,_ because Felicity said it best when she said Barry was adorable at least 98 percent of the time, he just couldn't help it. So how the _hell_ was he supposed to be around Barry and keep his hands of him with this latest development?

He'd have to think about that, the fact he had residual magic in him that apparently turned his dick into drugs and alcohol were Barry was concerned, _and what the hell was happening to his life in general_ later. Right now he needed to take care of Barry.

He picked Barry up and carried him back to bed, deciding he needed to sleep this latest magical high off, hopefully giving his body a chance to heel him like before, more than he needed another mountain of pancakes right now.

Barry was rambling magic-beer-goggled nonsense about how hot he thought he was as he carried him up to his bedroom and lay him down on the bed, pulling a blanket over him, shutting the daylight out if the room, and pouring a glass of water for when he sobered up.

He checked on him, and found himself stroking his hand through Barry's soft hair. It wasn't sexual so he didn't feel like he was doing anything wrong that he needed to control himself and stop, _..._ but _... -He'd be more comfortable if it was_ he suddenly realised, because that was lust, attraction, things he understood well, and _acutely_ where Barry was concerned, but this had nothing to do with either and he was suddenly all too aware of how much he _needed_ to just _touch_ him.

 _...That probably couldn't mean anything good._ Feeling strongly attached to, or possessive about someone didn't exactly bring out his civilised side, and the things he felt for Barry were more intense than anything he'd felt before, even for Laurel, the woman hed loved for most of his life,

or Sara whose dark soul matched his like no other.

Like him Sara's darkness had always been the lurking beneath the surface, it was what had drawn them to each other in the first place, although neither of them had been able to see that at the time.

For a while he'd felt he was addicted to the thrill of being with her, and that was why he kept going back for more even though they both knew the fallout would be apocalyptic, _and it had been,_ and yet years later they tried being together again, even though they weren't kids anymore and both understood they were drawn to each other because underneath it all they were essentially the same person, _and that didn't mean anything good for either of them._

If they were ever going to be better people and fight to get their humanity back they needed someone who made them _want_ to be better _and that wasn't each other._

Yes, They knew each other's darkness and accepted each other, no need to hide, no judgment and he missed that, missed her, -but he knew they'd done the right thing in letting each other go.

-But it hadn't been easy for either of them to walk away, and he wondered if he would have the same strength with Barry, _and doubted it._ Barry was the person he wanted to protect and be a better man for the most. _How was he supposed to walk away from that?_

He would _have_ to walk away ... This had only happened because his control had snapped and he'd taken what he wanted in the moment, that didn't exactly prime them for a relationship, and particularly not one that everyone would object to. He'd been there before, he knew from experience the toll it took on a relationship.

He took his hand away and made himself stop, but Barry tugged his arm as he went to move away.

‘Don't stop Oliver, it feels good’ Barry mumbled sleepily.

He tried to ignore the tightening in his groin because he doubted Barry meant it felt good in any way that was sexual.

‘God I think I love you touching me the best Oliver’.

 _Keep it together!_ He was still slurring his words, he probably didn't even know what he was saying.

‘I mean, next to my mom of course’.

... **_What?!_**

Barry grabbed his hand and clumsily put it back on his hair. ‘Mom, Dad, and Joe used to to do that to me when I was little, maybe I just have the kind of hair that always looks like it needs stroking or something, you know? -It's nice when you touch it too Oliver because you're like the best big brother _**ever** ,_ you let me stay here, you make me pancakes,  _-um have you got any more of those? With some cream and-_

-Barry crashed mid-sentence and he looked down at the sleeping speedster in his bed and cursed himself for a bastard. _Barry looked all of 16 right now_ , and his snuggling into the pillow like a little kid while mumbling in his sleep: _‘I want syrup, cream, maple syrup, **and** honey on mine Oliver’, _ didn't help make him look any older. In fact, 16 might be an overstatement, _and if that wasn't bad enough, he'd made him drunk, **again**. _

He suddenly felt _incredibly **guilty**._ -As in, if Barry's overprotective adoptive father showed up right now and decided to shoot him, he'd probably let him as the _**least**_ he deserved.

He went out on to the balcony ignoring the mess in the kitchen and just paced up and down, because amongst all the swirling guilt it had just occurred to him that Barry had called him **big brother** , _again._

… Maybe, he was going to have to accept that it was how Barry saw him, _although why he thought a big brother was someone you would **ever** have sex with was another matter. _ One he would have to urge Barry to get some in-depth Freudian analysis about another day. Right now, he had to A: get Barry sober and B: have a _serious_ talk with him.

But what was he going to say other than: 

  * _‘Don't ever ask me to kill you again’._
  * _‘I am **NOT** your brother if you're sleeping with me!’_
  * _‘I think I can't stand the idea of you being with someone else. -Do you want to try an exclusive yet impossible long-distance relationship that is doomed to fail for a hundred reasons on the off chance it might work?’_



He gave up pacing, deciding to deal with his pent up frustration by doing his routine exercises. Hopefully it would clear his head enough so he could decide if he should call Caitlin about what was happening with Barry, and if he should ask Barry for more than just what they'd already shared.

#  ** ************************** **

An hour later he was finishing up his routine and doing some warm down push-ups when he suddenly felt like he was being watched and looked up to see Barry.

‘Um, just, not spying or anything’, Barry flushed bright red and looked at the floor, ‘it's just, I mean I can do those too obviously, I just don't think I can get a body like yours no matter how many I do, and even if I could get those kinds of muscles, I don't think I could get them to do what yours are doing right now, you know kind of rippling or whatever. … You know Iris once said your arms were like twice the size of mine, and I was like, no way, not twice the size, now I'm thinking she was kinda right… not that I'm jealous or anything, it's just sprinters are usually like muscular, just look at the starting line-up of an Olympic race, and I'm the faster sprinter alive technically, but I'm built more like a long distance runner, all, um _wiry_ , I guess’.

He stood up and rubbed the sweat off his forehead and arms with a towel. ‘There's nothing wrong with your body or your body type Barry, your muscles are in excellent shape, strong, and well proportioned. You should be proud of the way you look, not worrying about looking like somebody else’.

Barry's eyes widened then he beamed at him. _That innocent disarming smile._ If he was honest it has been his undoing since he'd first seen it, when he'd first met him and he'd said _“I'm Barry Allen”_ and he'd been thinking who the heck is this kid? -And why does he think saying his name is as good as an explanation for what the hell he's doing here?

Back then, he hadn't or more accurately, hadn't wanted to understand those four simple words explained _everything_.

He was Barry Allen. _The person who had just come into his life and was going to change it completely._

‘So um I think that magic-drunk thing happened again’, Barry was rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as if he was embarrassed. ‘At least it wore off quickly this time. -um, you got any coffee around here? I could really use a cup, and if there's any way you could make it taste like the stuff Jitters serves back home, _that would be awesome._ You can do that right?’ Barry beamed at him, his beautiful eyes full of teasing, ‘I mean you're Oliver Queen, _you can do anything’._

He was about to tell Barry he wasn't much of a coffee drinker, wasn't sure he had any in at the moment, and he was nothing resembling a barista, so no, smartass he couldn't make artisanal coffee, when he noticed Barry was still looking at him under his sweep of lashes, his eyes lingering on his chest, and the next thing he knew he was yanking Barry into his arms by the waist of his sleeping shorts and kissing him despite the thousand reasons why he shouldn't, because kissing, touching, and tasting Barry, had become akin to the need for air, he couldn't fight it, and worse he didn't want to.

Barry was kissing him back, invitingly as if he was ready for more, but he forced himself to stop because making sure Barry was actually okay, not to mention sober _had_ to be his priority.

He managed to keep his hands-off Barry and hunt around in the kitchen to see if he had any coffee. There was a bag of that god-awful Rocket Fuel brand Felicity loved and had probably stashed in his cupboard, and he brewed Barry a cup, handing it to him and trying and failing not to get aroused as Barry moaned ‘mmm, god I love good strong coffee’.

The kitchen was a hot mess and he was about to clean up, but Barry's _so hungry now_ look had him deciding it could wait until later, so he cleared a space as best he could and started making a fresh jug of batter while Barry settled happily at the breakfast nook amongst the spilt pancakes and sticky countertop.

Barry sipped his coffee, then pounced on his first batch of pancakes, slathering them with as many toppings as he was able, cramming them into his mouth, and moaning in abandoned delight.

Okay. It was official. _There was only so much of **that** he could **take**._

‘God, Oliver, god, _so good’_ Barry groaned in delight, his eyes sliding shut as he was licking syrup off his fingers, sucking it off his thumb...

He stamped down the rising tide of _**see** , **want** , **have** , _ forcing himself to concentrate on whether Barry was alright.

... He _seemed_ completely back to normal. But since the intoxication had been magical rather than actual drugs and alcohol, he could hardly credit the coffee for that. -Barry's speedster healing must have countered the intoxicating effects of the magic again. Good. But he should have given more thought to that before he'd-

-‘Mmmm, this is all so delicious Oliver, God I  _ **love**_ the way your stuff tastes, -I mean the way all the stuff you have for the pancakes and the um batter tastes, not um _your_ stuff, not that there's anything wrong with um tasting your um _stuff_ , It's just I haven't yet so I don't know what it tastes like, not that I'm planning to, I mean I'm not,  _not_ planning to, I guess I hadn't really thought about it, but you do it all the time to me so... I should probably um...’ -Barry grabbed the coffee jug at lightning speed, his face flushing bright red as he was pouring a refill as if he _needed_ to do _something_ to make himself stop rambling. He’d taken 2 sips and the next thing he knew Barry was in his arms and they were kissing intensely, stripping off their T-shirts as they were heading to the floor because he had to have Barry now, _now_ , but he couldn't because-

-‘Hey it wore of ages okay, I'm literally fine now, and it's not like I mind it happening, it's seriously _awesome!_ -Don't look so worried about me, I'm fine Oliver, _I promise’._

He was, he could tell, he could _feel_ it, as he picked him up and carried him back to the bedroom. The magic was still... on or in him or whatever but it wasn't intoxicating him anymore. _But why had it in the first-_

-Barry kissed him, harder than usual, _showing him what he learned_ and he forgot what he was thinking about, kissing him back, pulling down Barry's shorts, tossing  them aside, sliding down his body and licking his hard length with long upward flicks of his tongue.

‘No no please’ Barry panted, his hands pushing at his shoulders, ‘I um... what you said about fantasising that we... um I want to try, I'm always first because I can't last when you um, but I want to last so we can...’

‘You want us to come at the same time?’ He started kissing and biting his way up Barry's body. ‘That doesn't just happen. That takes practice. Timing until you get it right. Do you want me to teach you?’

‘Yes’ Barry whimpered bucking up against him as he gripped him in his fist, stroking him and running the pad of his thumb across the sensitive tip.

‘Are you sure you can keep _this_ under control long enough to learn what I'm about to teach you?’

‘Yes, yes. I want to try Oliver, god please stop touching me! You're too good at that, if you don't stop I’ll, oh god, I'm going to, oh no, _I'm about to-_

-‘Mmm? About to what’, he smiled kissing the side of his neck, ‘about to come for me?’ He deliberately squeezed harder and, Barry erupted over his fists his whole body shaking as he was helplessly thrusting up into his fist.

‘No, I'm sorry, I can last, I want to las-

 _-‘Quiet’._ He ordered. ‘Now I am going to lick you clean and we are going to start again. Do you understand?’

Barry nodded at him wide-eyed and panting and he suppressed the predatory smile he could feel as he slid down his body.

‘Now. Pay attention he ordered licking his lips. If you want me to teach you to last, the first rule is learning to ride the edge of the cliff without falling over it’.

‘Okay’.

‘You do that by controlling your response to pleasure’.

‘Okay’.

‘It's the same as controlling your response to pain’.

He'd been running his hand over Barry's skin while talking, stroking him gently and Barry responded to every sweep of his hand. He was so sensitive and responsive. ‘Second thought’ he growled, lasting is overrated when you can do something most people, most men, can only dream of, you can come multiple times. -I've been meaning to ask you; does it dull the edge?’

‘Huh?’ Barry looked as innocent as he did puzzled. ‘No, why would it? I mean you're the first, well, only, person I've ever, um, finished so many times in a row with, but it doesn't feel any less... um good, - _wait is that like a thing?!’_

He shook his head amazed and smiled unable to resist kissing Barry. ‘Yes that's a thing, but apparently not for you, which is good. Now let's work with that’. He lay completely over Barry and nudged his legs apart. ‘If it feels good come as many times as you want too. Right at the end when I'm about to come we'll see if we can get the timing right okay’.

Barry nodded at him.

‘Stop giving me that _yes big brother_ look’ he growled narrowing his eyes at Barry, ‘seriously what is with you and that? I almost wish it was some kind of kink, but I really don't think it is, I think you seriously think of me that way _even when we're having sex._ One day we're really going to have to figure out why you are like this’.

Barry surprised him by pulling his head down and kissing him. ‘Is it so wrong that I like that you're always looking out for me, and teaching me cool stuff?’

‘No, it's just-

-‘Is it wrong that I kinda like it when you take care of me sometimes?’

Barry was getting harder pressed up against him and he started wondering if he was wrong and maybe it was a kink after all... _but that was probably just his wishful thinking,_ -because a kink would be easier to deal with than the weirdly incestuous reality.

‘I always wanted an older brother growing up, I guess that sounds weird. I just saw other kids that had big brothers who were always looking out for them and helping them do stuff and I wanted that. I wasn't lonely exactly but I was an only child. And I've never _once_ felt like Iris's brother although she felt that way about me, -but I'd had a crush on her forever before moving in with her and Joe and I've never thought of her as my sister like I think of Wally as my younger brother... so... I'm not really explaining this well. I guess I'm saying when I met you and we got to know each other and you were so much like what I always thought having a big brother would be like, except when you shot me with arrows that time-

_-‘Barry’._

‘Alright. Letting it go. Look I'm just saying when I finally found a big brother, I was grown up and he was you, so urm, well, hot, and the two things maybe kinda got mixed together... Oh my god, _do you think it is a kink?’_

Barry was brows down frowning while pondering it and he couldn't help smiling because it was adorable, _although he would never say that. -_ Or that it was clearly making him even _harder_ for Barry, _which he wouldn't have thought physically possible at this point._

‘... I don't know if it is. I mean, thinking of you as my big brother and urm what's happened they're like completely separate for me’.

‘Barry, _you realise that is insane don't you?’_

‘Um... I guess... when you say it like that, maybe, but I... that's just how I feel’.

‘Okay, how about this; think of me as a big brother all you want when I'm _not_ inside you’, he rubbed his larger body over Barry's dominantly, ‘at that point think of me as the man who does this to you’, he spread Barry open, pushing inside him hard, biting back the words, _the **only** man that does this to you_ , with effort.

‘Ahh god Oliver, god you're so hard, wait, _wait,_  please, _slow down’._

 _‘No’._ He growled. ‘I'm going to give you what you want, I'm going to make you come at the same time as me so I figure I have to get there fast’, -he pinned Barry down ramming into him savagely hard- ‘Push past it Barry, push past, does it help if I do this?’ -He rocked into him hard, ramming deep inside him while rotating his hips.

_‘Oh my **god** ’ Barry yelled, ‘oh god, **keep doing that** , Oliver I'm, that, I can't take it, it's so, it hurts but, god, don't ah, don't stop, don't stop, I'm oh god I'm, ah **argh** ’_

‘That's it’, he growled angling them while still inside Barry, so Barry was on his side and he was slamming into him and grinding in deep circles on the end of every thrust.

‘Stroke yourself’ he ordered, ‘do it in rhythm with me. That's it’, he sped up, ‘look at me’ he growled. They locked eyes and he thrust harder faster, ‘you got me so damn close Barry, this is going to be the fastest I've come since... no, even my first time lasted longer. You ready for it?’

Barry was vibrating disjointed which told him he was desperately trying to hold on, his wet lips parted on a single desperate cry of his name. ‘Now, Barry right now’ he growled letting go, letting it all crash over him, the magic swamping them both, tearing through them, and Barry was screaming his name and coming so hard it felt like he would vibrate so hard he phased out as he gripped onto Barry's wet electrically charged body, his hands at his hips, trying to hold him still growling ‘stay with me, stay with me, come on, take it, ride it out with me, ah god you feel good’, he thrust harder, utterly savage, dripping with sweat, his seed spurting hard into Barry.

Electricity sparked across the room as Barry's eyes locked with his, ‘I can't I can't, Oliver it's, I can't ah god, please I can't it's too much, _please, **please** ’. _

_That frantic tone again._

‘Shh shh’, he controlled himself with herculean, monumental effort, sincerely doubting he could have pulled back control after unleashing his sexually savage side for anyone other than Barry, but he'd clearly pushed him too hard and overwhelmed him.

‘It's okay it’s okay I've got you, I've got you, we can stop here it’s okay’.

‘I'm sorry’ Barry was whimpering, shaking so hard he lay over Barry and held him, tightening his arms around him every time he shook violently and whimpered.

It took a long time for Barry to wind down enough for him to ease out of Barry slowly and press up tight behind him holding him.

‘I'm sorry...’ Barry mumbled, ‘I literally and I mean _literally_ felt like I was going to explode and just _**die** ’._

‘I'm sorry if I scared you’.

‘No, it's not... you didn’t... I don't really have much urm experience, I mean with my powers I haven't really much with anyone, and I don't know...’.

‘Barry, it's okay, you don't have to explain’.

‘But I don't want you thinking I'm a... a...’

‘What?’

‘A wuss okay, a lightweight, the light beer of sex’.

He burst out laughing, he couldn't help it. ‘Barry’ he finally managed. ‘I would never think of you as light beer in any context. So you're not used to having sex with metahuman powers, I'm not used to having sex with magic powers. It got a bit too intense for you for a minute there that's all. You'll be fine once you figure out what your limitations are or if you even have any. It's all part of the learning process. I would never judge you for not knowing how hard you can push yourself sexually, or if an orgasm I was giving you got so good you felt like you were going to explode and in the heat of the moment had no idea if that was literal or not’.

Barry buried his face in his hands groaning ‘god I feel like an _idiot’._

 _It was adorable,_ and his body was taking notice. _Seriously, **what was going on with him and that?!**_ ‘Give yourself a break Barry. You have no idea what your full sexual capabilities are, I mean maybe you _could_ explode from a really strong orgasm’.

_‘Oh, that's not terrifying at all!’_

‘I'm joking. I do not believe that can happen. I think at most you'd phase or pass out’.

‘Yeah that does seem more likely, I was trying _not_ to phase out, to stay with you like you were asking me too and the pressure built and built’.

‘I'm sorry I was trying to make you hold on. Next time phase out or pass out if you need to, being scared you're going to die from coming too hard is only fun if you're not afraid of exploding to literal death’.

He leaned over and tilted Barry's face around to kiss him. ‘Come here, _let's try this again and see if we can get it right this time’._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Not about that waiting for the update life? Want some more good reading right now? Why not check out all of this ;D_
> 
> ###### 
> 
> Yes, Cisco Ramon is cute and adorable, and as far as HR and Harrison are concerned _asking for it!_ They just have different ways of showing him. Check out [_**The Drawbacks of Dating Deviant Dopplegangers**_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13232844%20)
> 
> _So there's a school of thought that says Cisco Ramon basically belongs to Harrison Wells, and that's why he has a connection with every Wells they meet. I am amenable to this! However, I am also nothing if not studious, so I backed up my findings with solid research, which I present to you at the end of the tale as supporting evidence. In short. It's cannon Cisco is indeed the hot little husband of any Wells smart enough to snatch him up and keep him!_
> 
> **curiobi **@ ~.~@****
> 
> 

> 
> ###### 
> 
> _So what if a certain Ice Cold man about town just so happens to be minding his own business on his way to a perfectly respectable, ~~illegal shady~~ arms deal and just so happens to find none other than the Scarlet Speedster himself, captured and just left all tied up and helpless… in speedster restraint cuffs... he can't get out of… _
> 
> ;D 
> 
> What will happen to our sweet adorable Barry! :o Will he be saved from Snart?! :O ... ;D Check out[ _ **Captain Cold**_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16373597/chapters/38319746)
> 
> 

> 
> ###### 
> 
> There is something going on with Doctors Harry Wells and Caitlin Snow. But is that actually a good thing? Check out [_**Beautiful Snow**_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12250869/chapters/27837471)
> 
> _Cisco is not having any part of the noise where Harry Wells has been messing with his sister/best friend Caitlin!_
> 
> 

> 
> ###### 
> 
> Still not sure I got what you need? Why not check out my [_**curiobi Master Fic List**_](https://curiobicloset.wordpress.com/category/by-curiobi-fanfic/)
> 
> There's a list of all my fics and in the welcome section, a brief intro including a post ~~rant~~ about corporate a-holes trying to hijack our right to squee and ship who we want to! Please check it out, I'm sure I have something for you gurl, and if not why not give me a prompt in the comments! 😉 😊


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